Nova Butterfly vs the Forces of Adolescence
by EVAunit42
Summary: Nova Butterfly is the daughter of Marco and Star. As a young magical princess now in charge of the wand, Nova strives to deal with life, living up to her awesome parents legacy and her crushes. But is there a dark, mysterious, dangerous force behind the scenes, ready steal the wand away from the unsuspecting princess? Maybe? cover by marionette-j2x. former cover by weather-art.
1. Nova's got a brand new wand

Hello Fanfiction. Mr.E here with some special news. readers asked for it, I worked on it, I think. it is possible i ended up just writing a story for my oc's just because and no one asked for it but in any case, here is the stand alone story of Nova Butterfly.

Now some very important author notes for people who know Nova and Connor.

the first is that this is a stand alone title. That means that the futures au that is in there's always a star is now non canon. I mean I'm still going to write oneshots there the 4 I owe you and a v-day one but that universe and this universe are similar but not the same. this is its own story using characters you all know. once more the oneshots on always a star did not happen (i'm still writing them) we're starting over here.

second is that out of all my projects, this has lowest priority because i feel it isn't fair that i put a lot of time into oc's in a star vs fanfiction category. I will work on it but this low on the must do list.

3rd, i added 2 new characters, Sol, Nova's 6 year old brother and Rocky the raccoon, the kind of watchdog of the Diaz family. They were not in the oneshots but since i have more room to play with a longer over arcing story, i added a few new characters.

Now to catch everyone up. This story takes place 20 years after Star vs. Marco and Star are married and now grown up with two children Nova and Sol. Nova's best friend is Connor who moved to California from Canada when he was 7 years old. sorry for the slow beginning I had to set everything up.

So that's about it. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Nova Butterfly's solo story. if you have any plot ideas for the story, i would love to hear them. there's a lot i can do here. So i hope you readers who know nova enjoy her solo series and you new readers enjoy a future of Starco, because i am still writing Starco. thank you so much, enjoy, thank you for taking the time to read and I own nothing but Covy!

* * *

Connor let out a sleepy yawn as the sun rose over the peaceful, quiet city of Echo Creek, some low hanging clouds lazily blocking the sunlight from hitting this small corner of the earth, the overcast making it even harder than it should've been to fully wake the groggy teen.

Today was October 26, a day written out on the calendar, one of the many moments that marched ever closer to the giant mass of land and water hurtling through space and completing its lap around the gassy star in the center of their galaxy.

But today was also a very important day, an incredibly special day that meant so much to the young teenager that he was willing to get out of his warm, cozy bed at 6 in the morning (on a non-school day mind you), slap on the brand new tuxedo his parents bought for him (which he hated with an unyielding passion) and hop into the family's highly illegally modified mini-van and drive over to her house with sleep and their late night texting still biting at his eyes.

But he would bear it, trudge on like a good solider because today his best friend in the entire world Nova Analise Butterfly was turning 14.

Nova was the daughter of local town celebrities Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly, two best friend who lived out the entire fairy tale cliché: Star was a foreign exchange student who lived with Marco and his parents, becoming fast friends with the young man. They grew up together until they realized their feelings for one another and fell in love. A perfectly normal and expected standard.

Well except the fact that Star Butterfly was a magical princess from another dimension.

That was different. Certainly flips the script.

Star was the young princess from a dimension called Mewni, sent to Earth to practice control of her magical wand, a powerful object that was capable of unmeasurable feats of magic. So naturally with such an item and lack of parental supervision from the king and queen, Star abused the hell out of it, often using it to shortcut her way through life while fending off a monster's named Ludo and his army attempts to take it from her. Luckily Marco knew karate and helped out.

Connor had heard their crazy adventures growing up, from the couple themselves to legends and rumors from that everyone in town seem to know of: Monster arm, Toffee, The Blood Moon Ball, riding unicorns into battle, robbing treasure from a bunny pirate ship. There never was a shortage of stories and Connor was eager to hear them all.

Connor and his family moved from Canada after a massive falling out between his parents and the rest of the Sinclair tree. His parents Henry and Rachel were inventors by nature and simply didn't fit in with the others since they were goofy, fun loving, and laid back people that didn't know the concept of embarrassing (Which was a good and bad thing in equal measure)

Connor remembered spending the first few months here by himself, tinkering with the young inventor's kit his parents bought him for his 7th birthday. Second grade wasn't easy for a shy kid and even more so when everything and everyone you knew now existed in another country. Connor never thought he was going to make friends until Nova Butterfly decided to march up to him and drag him into their friendship, one that continued on to this day and Connor couldn't be happier. 7 years as best friends with no sign of stopping any time soon.

And today was Nova's 14th birthday (previously mentioned at some point) and by Mewnian traditions, she would be receiving the Mewnian magic wand from her mother and becoming its new keeper, learning how to perform and master its spells while keeping it out of the hands of evil.

Which frightened Connor since Nova could easily get into large amounts of trouble without any magical assistance and now she was getting an all powerful wand. Connor hoped his parents insurance on him was up to date.

"We're here!" Henry exclaimed cheerfully from the front seat, looking at his loving wife and son with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

Connor knew something was up, something more than Nova's wand ceremony.

His father looked as he always had: towering both over his mother and himself with short dirty blonde hair and stormy gray eyes, his normally messy hair slicked back with gel and thoroughly combed through, the gray suit and shirt he was wearing ironed to perfection.

His mother was also 'fixed up' so to speak, her nromally long straight black hair curled, her green eyes sparkling with barely contained joy, her blue and white sundress very unusual attire for her to wear even to a formal event.

Connor briefly wondered if his parents had been replaced by aliens or monsters because there was no way these two people in front of him were his family.

The Sinclair branch of California did not dress up. Their clothing was usually funny images on shirts with really bad puns, pictures from their tv shows or dirtied, oily, sometimes burnt plain clothing due to their jobs as inventors. Dressing up was not a thing. In fact Connor hadn't even known his parents owned any sort of fancy clothing at all!

"Honey" Rachel called softly to her obviously distracted son "are you sure you don't want to comb your hair? It is pretty messy and it's a big day today."

Connor scoffed, ruffling his hair even more simply to prove a point "It's just Nova getting the wand. It's not like we're getting married or anything. She's _just_ my best friend."

Henry and Rachel smiled knowingly at each other, wise to how Connor really felt about the young magical princess.

Connor stared at himself in the reflection of the car window, trying to subtly fix himself before they arrived at the Diaz-Butterfly household.

His wavy jet black hair was a mess as usual with his forest green eyes peering back at him behind a pair of wire-frame circular glasses. His tuxedo was black with a white collared dress shirt and undone red tie.

"Dad! Come you help me with the tie?"

"Nope!" Henry responded cheerfully "I don't know how to tie them"

"ugh, mom, little help?"

Rachel shook her head gently "Not a clue. You know we're not fancy dress people! Such concepts are beyond us. If you want a thermal powered toaster, that we can do but tying a tie? Such is madness we cannot comprehend."

The trio laughed loudly as they pulled in front of their destination.

* * *

Nova took a deep, calming breath, trying her hardest not to let her fear show. Today was the big day, today she took up the task bestowed upon each Butterfly before her. Today was the day she lived up to her mother's legacy.

"Ugh, am I so nervous?!" Nova scolded herself, peering carefully into the mirror and slapping herself with her hands, her heart covered cheeks shifting between a multitude of colors like lights at a rave.

Nova leaned back, taking her full appearance in the mirror.

She had long, light brown hair like her father but it was shaped exactly like her mother's, her electric blue eyes blazed with intense emotions (mostly fear and anxiety) while her pinkish hearts on her cheeks flared uncontrollably, the two moles located on either side often overshadowed by her magical birth marks.

Perhaps it was her lack of usual attire that was throwing her off given that she usually wore one of her father's old red hoodies with her mother's devil headband and often paired the two treasured items with a knee length skirt.

Today, however, she was trading those clothes in for a pinkish-purple dress that covered her entire body. It looked cute but it was forced upon her by her mother.

Nova began playing with her hair absentmindedly, twisting two thick strains of it that replaced her Star bangs with two long braided strains that hung on either side of her face, framing it perfectly.

"Novy" A young, teasing voice called to her "Your boyfriend is here!"

Nova whirled around angrily to find her 6 year old brother Sol Diaz sticking his tongue out at her, a playful intent hidden within his eyes.

Sol had Marco's hair spikes but his were a dark brownish blonde, a rather unique hair color among the family. There was no spade, diamond, clover or hearts on his cheek but he was a human/Mewnian hybrid all the same. He was the same shade as Marco skin color while Nova shared her mother's paleness.

"Sol! What did I say about calling Connor my boyfriend?! You'll give him the wrong idea!" Nova snarled at her younger sibling

Sol gave her a cheeky smile "Connor? I was talking about Roman but I guess someone has her best friend on her mind."

Nova flushed brightly, staring daggers at Sol who laughed uncontrollably "Connor and Novy sitting in a tree, in complete d-e-n-e-l!"

"It's denial you brat."

"So you admit it?"

Nova growled, clenching her fist tightly while Sol raced off, trying to get a head start from Nova's wrath.

Nova bit her lip, moving to her bedroom and slowly opening the blinds to see that Connor and his family indeed arrived.

Nova could feel her heart skip a bit at the sight of her best friend but she quickly calmed it, pulling away and trying to forget the image of Connor dressed up for the first time in the 7 years they knew each other. Too bad she'll be seeing him all day today.

"We're just friends" Nova told herself "Don't live up the cliché. Ignore how well it worked for mom and dad."

Nova jumped at the sound of the sudden knocking loudly echoing throughout the house.

Nova took another calming breath and ran downstairs to greet her best friend.

* * *

Connor stared blankly at the creature that opened the door, the child size raccoon staring at him with annoyance in her eyes.

Rocky was the family pet though if she was picked up by Star or created by her Connor was never sure. All he knew is that Rocky had been around as long as he had been friends with Nova and Rocky did not like the young man for whatever reason. Probably due to the nature of being the watchdog of the children.

Rocky openly glared at him while Connor tried to ignore how strange it was to see Rocky stand on her hind legs effortlessly, cutely holding onto the door knob yet barring his path.

"Rocky!" Nova's voice called out from the stairway, causing Connor's cheek flush at her unexpected call "Let them in! Today's the big deal."

Rocky narrowed her eyes towards Connor, dropping down onto all fours before striding away, disappearing into the kitchen presumably to make her breakfast.

Connor walked in and felt the wind rush out of his lungs at the sight of Nova, looking extremely pretty in her dress, the twin braids loosely and swaying distractingly in the wind.

"Hi Novy!" Henry happily waved towards the young girl as he and Rachel pushed way past their awestruck son.

"Looking absolutely adorable" Rachel cooed at the sight of the girl.

Nova blushed politely, rubbing the back of her head nervously "T-thank you Mrs. Sinclair."

"Doesn't she look cute Connor?"

Connor openly glared at his smiling parents, unable to believe they would ask him such a question.

"Well four eyes, do I?" Nova asked with a hint of humor in her otherwise causal voice before realizing who else was in the room with them "O..oh I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, I..."

Nova stopped dead in her tracks when the older couple burst out laughing, patting their son on the back as they struggled to get their words out.

"Four eyes? Haha such a cute nickename."

"Mom" Connor whined, wishing he could die right on the spot.

"Go ahead Nova, call him four eyes! It fits."

"Dad" Connor complained.

"Well if you don't like your nickname, you could always get contacts."

Connor opened his mouth to explain why exactly he hated contacts but Nova beat him to the punch, quickly leaning forward with a clear threatening tone "You are not allowed to get contacts Connor. You hate them and you know it so I guess you better get used to the name."

Connor tried to ignore the silent laughter of his parents as he responded "Don't worry, you've been calling me that for years. I'm used to it. Besides it's the only way I could figure out if you've been taken over by something evil."

"haha I don't know about that" Sol's teasing voice came from out of nowhere, the young child having switched out of his pajamas and into the most adorable little tuxedo, perfectly matching Connor's as he rushed towards the teen at top speed "she acts so weird around you, you probably couldn't tell! Catch me!"

Nova's glare melted into a small, joyful smile as she watched as Connor lift up Sol effortlessly, holding him carefully in the air before lifting him over his head, carrying the little child on his shoulders, Sol unable to stop the happiest grin from appearing on his face.

"Whoa little guy" Connor said "you're getting big. You sure you're not too old from these piggyback rides?"

Sol pouted, shaking his head rapidly "never! Who told you such lies? It was Novy, wasn't it?"

Sol playfully glanced towards Nova, shooting her a wink while Connor bounce the small boy on his shoulders.

"Nah, your sister told me you love them. Besides, she likes to hop on my back and make me carry her whenever she gets too tired, huh Novy?"

"Really?" Nova didn't like Sol's searching tone "How funny _Novy._ "

"Anyway!" Nova interrupted loudly "We need to meet up with mom and dad in the backyard so we can head to Mewni."

"Ooooh, Mewni" Rachel and Henry giggled together "I can't wait. I brought the camera!"

"And I brought the taser!"

"Onward to battle Connie!"

"Yes General Sol!"

Nova shook her head, silently chuckling as Connor raced to the backyard, a cheering Sol on his back, arms outstretched like he just ordered the charge into the fray.

"Your little brother is sooo cute." Rachel said

"Eh, sometimes. He knows he's cute and what he can get away with."

"You excited?" Henry asked quizzically "it's a big day."

Nova nodded, unsure and a look of worry etched on her face "yeah. It's a big deal. I hope I'm up to it."

The couple smiled at her, wrapping her up in a giant hug "You'll do fine Nova. You got your parents! They'll help you and Connor will too, he's very fond of you."

"Well yeah" Nova replied with an obviously tone "he's my best friend."

Henry and Rachel simply smiled at the young princess, quickly chasing after the boys into the backyard.

Nova nodded to herself, quietly but slowly heading back to her room to get the last thing she needed for the event.

* * *

"Sol, get off Connor. He's a guest." Marco gently chastised his son, frowning at his behavior.

"Oh relax Marco, he's just having fun and Connor doesn't mind, do you Connor?" Star nudged the teen, wiggling her fingers to distract Sol from Marco's scolding.

"Of course not!" Connor agreed "it's all good Mr. Diaz."

Marco let out a defeated sigh, before looking at his family, a nervous edge to his face.

Marco and Star were not much different from when they were teenagers though there were some new changes.

Marco was no longer a thin, scrawny boy, his body finally shaping based on his karate training and constant fighting of monsters. He was now a head taller than Star and was looking really sharp in the tuxedo combo that seemed to be popular around the household.

Star was no longer the cute adorable girl she once was, her body filling out with womanly charms and grace giving her an unearthly beauty. She was taller then she had been before, her hair no longer the length of her body but just a bit shorter due to her added height. As ruling queen of Mewni, she learned to morph her face into a serious regal pose but alas she was still the same Star Butterfly from all those years ago. She was wearing her royal clothing, a simple yet dignified dress of varying shades of blue, the crown sitting comfortably on her head.

"Well you two look amazing" Henry complimented, fist bumping with Marco as Star and Rachel squealed "hugs" at the top of their lungs and hugged each other affectionately.

"All set?" Rachel asked curiously, winking at Marco and Star.

The two become bright red, nodding their head in agreement while sharing a shy smile.

"Ready for Nova's ceremony?" Connor asked cautiously, wondering if he was missing the bigger picture here.

"Of course, of course. Nice suit" Marco said, giving Connor a thumbs of approval.

"Thanks. It was a special occasion."

"Alright. I'm ready" Nova called from the inside of the house.

As one, everyone turned to face the princess. Her pose was perfect, she walked with a grace not often found in her steps, a small, modest crown on the top of her head.

"Looking great sweet." Marco smiled brightly

"Watch out, got a pretty girl walking through'" Star teased

Nova made her way to everyone else, nervous smiles and all.

"Hey Marco buddy" Henry cut in out of nowhere "Mind fixing my tie?"

"Of course!" Marco agreed, waving the other man's request off as if it was nothing.

"Oh Mr. Diaz, could you help me too?" Connor questioned, moving forward to line up behind his father.

"Oh. Nova knows how to tie ties. Ask her."

Connor turned around slowly as not to knock off Sol, Nova's gaze covered in disbelief.

"Seriously four eyes?" Nova softly scolded, sliding her hands around his neck and fixing his collar before beginning to tie the tie together "You don't know how to tie a tie?"

"Be happy I even dressed up for you Novy."

Nova said nothing, focusing on the red tie, ignoring the glance of Sol who must've been looking cocky as all hell, mentally recording this moment for future teasing.

"There." Nova told Connor, patting his chest unnecessarily before pulling away "all set."

"thanks Novy."

"Enough talking!" Star shouted, drawing her dimensional scissors and holding them dramatically in the air "it's time to go to Mewni!"

"Star, calm down. It's still 7. People are slee..."

"MEWNI!" Star yelled even louder, cutting a hole into the fabric of reality and making travel between dimensions possible.

"Ooooh" Rachel muttered, impressed by the swirling portal "A whirlpool of terror and death! Awesome!"

Rachel and Henry went in first, the sheer thrill and excitement of finally seeing a new dimensions overpowering their concern for safety.

Star and Marco followed closely behind, their bodies filled to the brim with eagerness.

"Come on Connie, to Mewni!" Sol cheered with excitement, bouncing wildly up and down on his shoulders.

Nova stayed quiet when Connor took a step forward, stopping and turning to his best friend as she failed to move alongside with him.

"Novy?"

Nova remained silent, unsure if she could handle such a responsibility. She wasn't her mother. Star was this amazing, perfect woman and Nova? She wasn't Star...she would go down in history as the worst Butterfly to ever wield the wand. She would bring shame to her family name! How could anyone expect her to...

Nova blinked out of her thoughts, peering curiously at Connor's hand gripping hers tightly, reassuringly as he pulled her along, slowly but firmly.

Sol turned back to his big sister, grinning like he just won the lottery as Nova felt her cheeks flame, her hearts lightly glowing as the trio made their way through the portal.

* * *

Mewni was not the same as it had been during Star's childhood. During Star's time, it was a brimming utopian perfection of 12 century living, with wizards and alchemists pushing their wares on the streets onto unsuspecting citizens, buyers usually receiving what they pay for though once in a while, they fell victim to rather nasty scheme or scam. Luckily the doctor and his leeches were always nearby to perform some medical procedures.

Now, with travel and trade between Earth having been established and finalized, Mewni had grown rapidly, catching quickly to the non-magical dimension. Instead of its citizens living in the 12th century, they now lived in the 19th center.

Mewni blended traditional Mewnian structures with the design of Victorian era London: Cobbled streets now ran everywhere with the hut buildings still remaining but now stacked like skyscrapers, the fashion now a strange mixture of suits and townsfolk attire (with the older adults refusing to change their time honored style and the younger generation 'rebelling' with suits and peasant caps.) Horse drawn carriages, stores, the village now growing into a fairly modest city. Mewni was on the up and up though many questioned if it was the good idea to open the magic academy next to the unstable alchemy lab.

The group arrived at the base of the palace, which remained as it always had, to the throngs of cheering people.

Nova could feel her nervousness grow at the sight of so many familiar faces and only Connor's hand prevented her from fleeing: Uncle Ferguson waved at her cheerfully from behind his secret service wall, Uncle Alfonzo smiled with his pixie wife politely nodding her way. There was Aunt Pony Head, still majestic and magical as ever next to her husband, a full bodied white mustang with a black mane named Stal and their daughter Uni, a pure black and gray full bodied unicorn who had this nasty habit of setting things on fire when she was startled (and she was always startled). Grandma and Grandpa Diaz made funny faces their way, their age still a number and not appearing on their person at all.

And at the top of the imposing staircase was Moon Butterfly (heart shaped hair and refined dress) and River Butterfly (Still short and clothed as if he had been hunting the rare jabberwocky)

The others waited patiently at the base of the stairs, Star and Marco reaching for their daughter's hand.

Connor hesitantly let go of his best friend's hand only for her to snatch it back when he released it.

"Nova, it is time" Star said firmly yet gently, not used to using her royal voice on her own child.

Connor let out a sigh, trying to ignore all the stares and smirks of the crowd as he led Nova forward, muttering under his breath how much she owed him.

The family, with Sol riding on Connor's shoulders, met with Moon and River, bowing together once Sol had leapt off Connor.

Nova finally slid her hand away from Connor's as the boys stood to one side, Moon smiling proudly at Nova as Star pulled out the wand.

The wand had gone through a sort of upgrade since Star received it into her care. It had two white wings, outstretched skyward as if preparing to take light, a pinkish-light purple circular center with a fully complete gold star in the middle, with two varying shades of blue in a snowflake design centering the star with a few red hearts placed within, a gold butterfly shaped figure where the wand and hilt met with an alternating diamond shape pattern of pink and purple running down the hilt itself.

With a flick of her wand, Star's hair rose upward, forming into the heart shape traditionally worn by the Queen of Mewni.

Star raised her wand high into the sky, a display of powerful yet harmless fireworks catching the attention of everyone who was watching, silencing the entire crowd in a moment.

"We" Star spoke clearly, her voice carrying across the hushed cityscape "Are gathered here today in honor of the royal wand being passed on from mother to daughter. Nova Analise Butterfly, please step forward."

Nova took a step forward, wondering what she was going to have to do. Was there a speech? An oath? Maybe she would have to fight her mother for the wand. Star wasn't really clear on what exactly happened at the wand transfer ceremony and she never truly explained it either.

Star beamed blissfully at her daughter "Here you go. Catch!"

Nova's face fell into surprise as Star half-haphazardly tossed the wand towards her, catching the young princess off guard as she struggle to react in time to grab the powerful magical object.

Nova tried to hold onto it when it fell into her hands but it quickly slipped out, rising into the air before falling back to the ground. Nova reached out, trying her hardest to keep herself steady while the wand fell into her waiting hands.

"Star Butterfly" Moon's tone took on a scolding edge "You do not throw powerful objects like that! It was very reckless"

"Oh relax mom" Star answered, wrapping her arm around her mother's shoulder "I knew Nova would catch it. Besides I want to see what the wand looks like for my little girl."

"Star..." Moon started before being hushed loudly by Star.

There was a swirl of black and white magic that enveloped the wand, blinding everyone to the new form of the magical item though Nova could see and she seemed awed by its new appearance.

And as quickly as it came, the magic faded and Nova gingerly held her new wand in her hands, surprise and glee written all over her face.

The wand was simple. It was the stereotypical magicians wand: Black circular hilt with a white tip.

Star and Marco shared a look, tears building in their eyes at the simple design, dozens of memories filling their minds.

When Nova was younger, Marco and Star used to perform magic shows for the fledgling princess. Marco would dress up: tuxedo, top hat, cape, the standard magician attire and use a fake wand similar to the wand Nova now possessed to perform magic tricks for her while Star remained hidden somewhere nearby with real wand, giving the illusion that Marco was the magical one.

Nova loved it and while she did eventually find out the truth behind the little act, it warmed Marco and Star's heart so that she loved it so much that she wanted her wand to be the one that brought her so much joy as a child.

"Well that's it" Star told everyone simply, ruffling her hair back to her usual style.

"Really? That's it?!" Nova eyed the surround people carefully, wondering if this was some sort of evil trick.

"Pretty much. Don't let it fall to evil, be responsible, yada, yada, yada" Star told Nova, smirking at her shocked expression.

Nova held the wand tightly, a rush of magic flowing through her entire body.

"Why don't you try it out Nova?" Marco asked her, wondering what would Nova's first spell would be.

Nova nodded, excited yet fearful. She rose the wand high into the air and...

* * *

"Like mother" Moon's voice was completely deadpanned as the panicked cries of the people filled the air, the burning rainbow that hung high over Mewni glowing brightly and warmly as it rained flaming confetti to the city below "Like daughter"

Star chuckled while Nova and Connor raced back and forth, pouring buckets of water and unleashing torrents of the substance everywhere they could "Yeah"

River coughed, eying his wife carefully "I believe you mean like grandmother, like mother, like daughter"

Moon narrowed her eyes at her husband "River, hush!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Star quickly jumped in, leaning off of Marco's arm and grinning towards her mother "You did the flaming rainbow too?"

Moon felt an uncharacteristic blush appear on her face "Well...it wasn't...as big as yours or Nova's..."

"Nonsense!" River exclaimed "it was twice the size! And also rained down ice cream along with the flaming confetti."

"River!"

"Mom!"

"yes dear?" River asked innocently, unaware what he had accidentally revealed, his blank stare too much for Moon to handle.

"ugh, nothing dear."

"I guess flaming rainbows are a Butterfly thing" Marco teased, earning a glare from his mother-in-law, a grin from his wife with a panic fueled Nova finally succeeding at dousing the fiery refracted light.

"By the way Star, where is Glossaryck?" Moon questioned, wondering why the index being had yet to appear.

"Yes" River chimed in, glancing around inquiringly "He's not hiding because he owes me for the last poker game we played, is he?"

Moon slowly turned to her husband, staring daggers at his searching face.

"River dear?"

"Yes love?"

"You told me you had stop with the gambling" Moon glared, her lips turning downwards into her iconic frown.

"I..well...Glossaryck and I have...a gentlemen's arrangement and..."

"River dear..."

River faltered "y-yes dear?"

"We will talk about this later."

River gulped knowing full well this was not going to end well.

"yes dear" He murmured softly, defeated and eager to enjoy the remainder of the event in peace.

"And now where is Glossaryck Star?" Moon turned to her daughter, still in angry queen mode.

"Umm...well..." Star stalled, looking away from her mother as she tried to come up with a convincing lie.

Marco stared at his wife, eye brow raised "You left him at home, didn't you?"

Star anxiously giggled, shrugging nonchalantly before taking shelter and protection behind Marco.

"Star!" Moon yelled, her voice carrying throughout all of Mewni, a familiar sound to anyone growing up during Star's childhood.

"He's fine!" Star defended, holding tightly onto Marco's shoulders while peering fearfully from behind her husband "He's probably playing with Rocky, they're like best friends."

* * *

Glossaryck and Rocky openly glared at one another.

"I said do you have any 4's!" Glossaryck asked, clenching his cards in his fist tightly.

Rocky simply walked away, smacking the magical tutor with a flick of her tail.

"Get back here, I know you have 4's!" Glossaryck floated after the retreating raccoon.

* * *

Marco scoffed "yeah, they're like the bestest of friends..."

Before Moon could further scold Star, there was a loud chiming of a bell, catching the attention of every single person within earshot.

Marco and Star stared lovingly towards each other, the moment they waited for so long finally arriving.

"The wedding's starting!" Ferguson shouted excitedly, startling his secret service bodyguards into drawing their guns, angrily staring at the president for the false alarm as he made his way into the palace.

Nova and Connor stared each other curiously "Wedding?"

* * *

"Wedding" Nova and Connor muttered as one, unable to keep the awe out of their joint voices as they took sight of the transformed throne room.

The room was no longer spacious, dozens and dozens of wooden pews filled every available inch of the room, beings from various dimensions poured into the majestic palace and took their seats. Moon, River, Rafael and Angie decided on the second row fo their choice of venue.

"Nova, what's going on?" Connor asked slowly, eying everything carefully.

"I..I don't know." Nova admitted, wondering what single event could bring so many kingdoms and worlds together? Even age old enemies sat next, pacified and content despite their close proximity to one another.

"Ah Nova!" a thick, heavily accented called from the doorway. The pair turned around to find themselves face to face with Nova's beloved uncle Yvgeny Bulgoyaboff or as he was once known as, Buff Frog. He was the same as he always was: Yellow bulbous eyes, batwings on his head, a large round body that was a lighter shade of green now that he was older.

"Uncle Yvgeny!" Nova let out a delighted cheer, wrapping her arms around the giant amphibious monster lovingly.

"It is good to see you Nova, and you too Connor."

"Hey Mr. Bulgabuff."

"Just call me Buff Frog or Yvgeny Connor. My name, you butcher far too well."

Connor blushed in embarrassment but Nova nudged his side lovingly, shooting him a comforting smile.

"Why are you here Uncle Yvgeny?" Nova asked, unsure why he would leave his fountain home in the Diaz backyard to come to Mewni. Buff Frog was very fond of Earth and was never really eager to return to the place of his birth.

"Why your parents wedding of course!" Yvgeny answered enthusiastically "It is not every day your mother finally gets to take your father's last name."

Realization broke out onto Nova's face, her eyes shining with wonder and joy

"Of course! Mom can finally take dad's name now that I have the wand."

"Umm" Connor raised his hand to interrupt "I'm still a bit lost here."

Nova shook her head disappointingly at Connor "I told you a dozen times Connor, in Mewni, the only person who can legally use the wand is a Butterfly!"

"But" Connor still wasn't fitting the pieces together "Ludo tries to take it from your mom all the time. If he gets it..."

"Nova did say legally. Anyone can use the wand but Mewian law dictates that only a Butterfly may rightfully wield its power...though I do not know if this extends to Earth. Star Butterfly was the first princess in Mewnian history to actually train in another dimension. Such matters were not considered and very unclear"

"Wait, doesn't that mean Ludo will come after you now?" Connor couldn't keep the fear out of his voice.

"Let him try" Nova beamed confidently "I've got my parents, I've got the wand and you got my back, right Connor?"

"of course Nova, always" Connor smiled towards his best friend.

Nova coughed loudly, fighting off the blush as she glanced around the room "So Uncle Yvgeny, where's Viktor?"

"Alas, he is home, babysitting his siblings. Chekhov, Dolph, Steve and Rosalinda are still young, not yet ready to control themselves in public."

"We'll see him Monday at school."

"Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, line up with your partners!" A random voice called over the booming crowd.

Nova was unsurprised to see Uncle Ferguson smartly dressed in a black tuxedo and red tie, walking up to his head of security Cassie, a serious looking blonde with piercing gray eyes who was a tall as Ferguson was pudgy. Cassie wearing a very familiar pinkish-purple dress. Nearby Uncle Alfonzo was dressed in the same suit with his pixie wife hovering close by. The final pairing was Pony head wearing a flower of similar color as the dress Cassie wore on her mane and Stal who opted to wear a small red tie around his neck.

"Alright" a small, shrill woman called, clipboard in her hands. Obviously the wedding planner given her assertive nature and the veins popping out of her forehead "Ferguson and Cassie? Check. Alfonzo and Lillian? Check. Pony Head and Stal? Check. Wait a minute...I'm missing a couple. I AM MISSING A COUPLE PEOPLE! Where are Nova Butterfly and Connor Sinclair?"

"Wha?"

"Huh?" the noise escaped Nova and Connor's lips before they could realized the tiny woman gripped the two tightly by the wrists and dragged them to join the rest of the wedding party.

"W-wait, We're in the wedding?" Nova asked, unable to keep the whine out of her voice.

"Duh Novy" Sol teased, walking around his big sister's legs like he was part cat.

"B-but mom didn't tell us!"

"She'd knew you run for it if you found out she paired you with Connor" Sol explained, laughing at Nova's discomfort.

It was only then the pair realized that they took were wearing the same outfits as the other groomsmen and bridesmaids that felt silly. They should've seen it from the beginning.

Nova opened her mouth to complain but the room fell silent as a deep, echoing piano began playing a soft yet filling melody, the throne room engulfed in a wondrous harmony.

Ferguson and Cassie were up first, calmly and purposely walking towards the twin thrones, Ferguson throwing flirtatiously looks towards Cassie but the head of the secret service took it with a stoic face as she did with all things Ferguson.

Alfonzo and Lillian went next, the little pixie sat on Alfonzo's shoulder while the two talked, their rapid fire whispering intense and urgent.

Pony Head began neighing and laughing loudly, bumping into her husband eagerly and trying to catch his attention but Stal kept his gaze on the floor, trying to draw as little attention as possible.

The crowd snapped as one, their gaze focused on Connor and Nova causing the two to shift uncomfortably under such attention.

Nova felt her feet rooted to the spot, her body unwilling to accept any commands other than run and run faster. She felt so embarrassed, so exposed. She didn't think she could do this.

She felt her body tingle as Connor slipped his arm around hers, taking a step forward and pulling Nova into action.

Nova fell into step at once, tightening her grip on Connor as the walls felt like they began to tower over her, the stares of the guests frightening the young princess. They were judging, comparing her to her mother, her grace, her appearance, her...

"Nova" Connor whispered softly "it's okay, they are just here for a wedding. Not to judge you. I got you, just one foot forward" Nova matched Connor's stride "And now the other."

Nova gave a small nod, releasing an anxious breath from her lips as she began smiling and waving towards the crowd, their faces shifting from indifference to joy.

"See" Connor muttered as the pair reached Marco, nervously twitching as he waited for Star's arrival.

Nova and Connor parted, taking as much time as they could before letting go of one another, moving to take their place with the others.

The piano changed effortlessly to the wedding march, the entire room staring backwards, rising to their feet as the doors opened once more.

Star had changed into a beautiful white wedding gown, intricate and well designed patterns covering the queen from head to toe, the wedding veil stitched in a way that star shapes were clearly visible, her wedding train being lifted and carried by an adorable Sol who waved to everyone like he was the star of the show.

Nova couldn't help but beam with bliss and pride as Star reached Marco, the stunned look on her father's face letting Nova know he was falling in love all over again.

Nova hoped to have someone like that one day. To find someone who loved her as much as her parents loved each other. Who would just want to spend every moment they could with her, regardless of what they were doing.

No one could see Star's face under the veil but it wasn't too hard to hazard a guess given how she stood there, unmoving, staring in Marco's direction.

The priest lightly coughed, a sound that grew louder than it should've over the silence of the hall.

"We are gather here today to rebond these two in holy marriage: It was 15 years ago today that I had the honor of marrying these two fine, amazing adults but due to the political nature of their marriage, Star Butterfly remained Star Butterfly. You two have fought long and hard to unite your two dimensions and you did so while caring for a lovely family."

Nova tried to hide her burning face when the priest gestured to her and then Sol who began cutely waving towards everyone, clearly enjoying all the attention.

"And just as it was my honor to do so all those years ago" the priest continued "I now have the honor to do so again. Do you, Marci Ubaldo Diaz, take Star Butterfly to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and care for her, in sickness and in health, for as long you both shall live?"

Marco let out a loving sigh, holding onto Star's hands even tighter "I do."

"And do you, Star Butterfly..."

"Heck yes I do!" Star interrupted, bouncy and looking like she was about to achieve lift off.

Everyone let out a barely contained chuckle while Moon shook her head at Star's antics.

The priest gave a hearty laugh, trying to suppress a grin "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride you were already married too."

Marco leaned in to kiss Star but Star took the lead. She wrapped her arm around Marco's waist, dipping him dramatically and planting the biggest, fierce kiss she could to the cheering of the crowd, pulling back to his feet after a few moments, Marco now dazed, confused and lovestruck.

"I present to you!" the priest said over the booming crowd "Mr. and Mrs. Diaz."

Nova and Connor stared knowing glance as they clapped and whooped loudly at the sight of Marco and Star Diaz sharing another kiss.


	2. First Day on the Job

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here hope you are all doing great. Thank you for ever single follow, favorite and review. they mean everything me and i am really glad you enjoyed the story so far.

a special thanks to tanner, nice to hear from you again! i honestly hadn't notice when i wrote it. i just got caught up in writing

sonicelite: Okay you're new brain shall be in shortly, thank you for using starco insurance. thanks and you too!

finn: yes finn i shall! (Salutes)

MAFx98- yeeeeah i love writing and if i didn't limit myself you readers could be reading like 12,000 words Sol holding the wand i have no comment for story reasons. haha i know what you mean. i literally just learned how to tie a tie and i used to get all embarrassed asking my friend to do it for me so much i just decided to wear clip ons. I had to add gossy and playing cards with rocky seemed to be a good idea and I like to believe that Moon was once like star. stay awesome too!

Godlegend- you are stories are really good and i hope you keep it up! and you have awesome ideas

Marionj2x- umm...i have your new body ready. starco insurance! new body

Lupus- Well i wanted to make a foil to Nova and Sol is that whole knows he's cute and can get away with it type of kid. it actually ties into his magical power that no one knows he has. well one of two. Right? such cliches. haha i hope you enjoy this one

king of france: thank you so much for your kind words. they truly mean a lot to me and i am grateful you took the time to read this story especially since you don't normally do it. I would love to be a writer one day or voice actor and who knows, maybe i will

Sara: i am glad you liked it, have some more

princessxgilex- yes, i am serious and it was sugary huh? thanks for your review

Fabio- i am very happy and it's because of support from you amazing readers that these series even exists so thank you for that. :) in case anyone else is wondering, in Mewni it is illegal for anyone to use a wand that does not have the surname Butterfly. Anyone can use the wand but it's law that they don't thank you for making sure i cleared that up good sir. you are very welcome and thank you for your awesome review. have a good week!

grim- there are more and with more room to work with, ive got more stories to tell and more combos of characters to interact with. well in the first au sol was just a character. when i gave nova her own chapter, i had the background set up but i still was completely surprised when you all loved her so much and wanted more so i decided to add sol back into the rotation and flesh out his character.

warhusky- and here it is!

deadshoot- yes and it was all thanks to you wonderful readers

anoymins- Sol has a certain charm to him. he's cute, he's cool and he knows it. aww that makes me tear now that you enjoyed the story so much. Connor loves inventing and he'll do more in the future. not this time because he had no time. thank you

cartoonlover- he won't he'd probably hug you back and take a picture with you! sorry, i was seeing the reader response for the solo series and you all said you wanted it so i decided to finally deliver. and you are far too kind, im a guy that just likes writing

Smitty Theories- i know right?

DM: thank you for this review and all others. i am going on with Marco diaz but i've got a full plate at the moment so it's a little on pause. it will be updated soon along with the others. and i shall keep this going because you readers wanted it no homework but life. le sigh

Thank you so much for reviewing and reading and in general this entire existence of this story. i mean seriously without your support and love for covy, i would've never done this. if you have any ideas of possible 'episodes' let me know. I can't promise i will use every single one but you readers come up with some brilliant awesome ideas i wish i thought of and who knows, maybe i can fit it into the story i have planned there's a good chance ill work the scene or the pairing in or whatever and i will give you full credit because hey like i said before, without you wonderful readers, i wouldn't be much of a writer.

really quickly, quick question. I was talking to cartoonlover187 and the subject came up that if Nova and Connor became canon or were in the show somehow or got their own show (i would die from happiness), who would voice them. We both agreed that Jason Ritter (Dipper) would be a good fit for Connor but we weren't sure on Nova. We agreed that maybe Tara strong's raven might be good if she was more emotional but still not sure. anyway i was curious about your thoughts on the matter. any oc character in the story, who do you think would voice them? i really want to know what you think. only if i could animate connor and nova with voice clips but that requires favors from my friends and they expensive haha.

Anyway this is the day after the wedding, it's monday and officially Nova's first day with the wand. I own nothing except covy and the other ocs in this story and enjoy!

* * *

Marco let out a content sigh, quietly listening to the happy chirping of the birds, watching the sun slowly rise into the sky, ready to bring forth a new and glorious day, a new chapter in the book that was Marco's life.

Star glared angrily towards the outside world, the insistent chirping of the bird creatures annoying her to no end and making the pounding of her head even worse than it already had been. The sun was unusually pretty today which meant it was a brightness that Star did not need right now. Good thing she wasn't scheduled go into Mewni today or else she may have gone insane due to sheer pain.

Marco chuckled at his wife, trying his hardest not to coo over how adorable she looked with dead tired eyes, head placed sideways on the diner room table, her long golden hair splashing outwards over the edges of the wood like rays from the celestial body currently rising outside their window, her trademark pink hearts replaced by black, dizzy swirl lines.

"Looks like Mrs. Diaz got a little too carried away at the wedding last night." Marco teased, winking towards Star while savoring how much he loved how the word rolled off his tongue now that it was associated with Star.

Star playfully glared at her husband, giving him a reassuring smile that she wasn't actually mad at him, just really wishing the headache would disappear.

"I warned you Star. You can't handle your alcohol but nooooo someone didn't listen to me" Marco cockily smirked her way.

Star stuck her tongue out at him before gripping her head tightly, moaning in discomfort as it pounded like a drumline in a marching band

"I'm a magical princess!" Star whined, letting out an annoy grunt at the sound of her own voice causing the headache to worsen.

She lowered her voice, now having remembered why she wasn't supposed to yell "I mean, I have a high resistance to all foreign substances regardless of any dimension."

Marco shook his head at Star "But I don't think your resistance was prepared for 10 tequila shots in a row."

"Ugh, your dad challenged me! What was I supposed to do? Not win?"

Marco tried to suppress his laugh but was failing horribly "Star, you should've known better!"

Star opened and closed her hand like it was talking, clearly mocking her husband scolding.

"Ugh, MAAAAAARCO!" Star flinched at the sound of her own voice "When is it going to stop?" she murmured as quietly as she could.

Marco glanced at his Star watch, a beautiful chrome plated wrist watch with a picture 17 year old Star and Marco up at him, the two looking adorable perfect in their prom attire.

"According to my you watch, 3...2...1"

At once the swirls that rested upon Star's cheeks vanished, the pink hearts reappearing magically. Star sat upright, her grouchy demeanor replaced with her usual, cheerful self.

She let out the cutest yawn and stretched her aching body, letting out a joyful "mmmm" before smacking her lips together in an attempt to rehydrate her mouth.

"Much better" she said with a Cheshire grin.

Marco shook his head in disbelief, envious that she could just recover from a hangover if she waited long enough. No coffee, no water, no food. Just bitch and moan then poof! Cured.

"That's right" Star said with a knowing grin "Be jealous."

"I am" Marco admitted, standing up and grabbing his now empty plate and cup "You get drunk, get cured the moment 6 a.m. Hits and get to stay home today. I am incredibly jelly to say the least."

Star giggled, biting her lip as she eyed her husband carefully. Even though he wore the same type of pajamas as he did when they were growing up (the cute blue striped ones), he made it look good with his slightly longer than usual hair (he was due for a cut and despite Star's pleas for him to keep it that length, Marco would routinely cut it short), his well defined muscles clear through the fabric. Star let out a giggly sigh, completely dazed by how handsome her husband looked.

"Star? STAAAAR!"

Star snapped out of it but was still caught unawares. She flailed wildly, hands frantically scurrying for anything to prevent her fall but it was far too late for her. With a shocked look upon her face and a oddly graceful tumble towards the floor, Star gave up fighting gravity, rolling her eyes before she landed on the floor with a dull thud.

"STAR!" Marco cried out more in exasperation than concern. This wasn't Star's first fall and he doubt it be her last. It has been a while if he was going to be honest.

She laid there, defeated, a look of 'I can't believe this' as she blew strains of her hair out of her face.

"You going to keep checking me out or are you going to help me up?" Star teased, winking at him before laying flat on her back, arms outstretched and motioning for him to come closer.

Marco could feel his heart beat wildly at the sight of his beautiful wife even in a white t-shirt with a picture of a unicorn with a chainsaw taped to its horn and ridiculously bright pink sweats.

Marco plastered a false look of annoyance as he leaned over Star, her arms wrapping around his neck while his found her waist.

"You ready?" Marco asked, adding an irritated edge to his voice for show.

"Mhm!" Star nodded happily, biting her lip as Marco picked her off the ground effortlessly, his muscles flexing under her touch.

Marco had barely managed to level the two of them when Star surged forward, pressing her lips against his in a passionate kiss, her hands no longer using his neck for support but rather to keep him place.

Marco melted into the kiss, pulling at her hips and drawing Star in closer before deepening the romantic gesture, Star's light moan and stifled laughter letting him know she was loving what he was doing.

"SOL! SOL, YOU LITTLE... GET BACK HERE!"

Marco and Star pulled away just in time to see Sol falling from the banister, his dark brownish blonde hair spikes waving wildly as he free fell onto the couch placed against the staircase. Sol hit the cushy sofa with enough force to be launched a good foot into the air.

Before Star or Marco could scold their children for ruining their moment, Sol shifted his weight forward, leaning while tucking his body into a ball, bouncing off the sofa into a control roll. He burst forth out of his roll, one foot and hand outstretched outward to slow his momentum against slippery floor of the household. The very second he came to a complete stop, he dropped into a sprinter's pose, taking a quick second before breaking into a run, a series of multicolored humming birds narrowly missing pinning his sleepwear to the ground behind, the beaks of the avian creatures digging into the floor with a deep plop, plop, plop.

Not but a moment later, Nova came sailing over the railing of the stairs, landing on the couch in the traditional hero's pose (One knee and hand planted onto the cushion, the other leg bent upright) her purple sleep dress doing nothing to ease the righteous fury in her eyes.

"SOL!" Nova yelled, aiming her black white tipped wand towards her little brother's back.

"Morning mom! Morning dad!" Sol waved cheerfully, gripping one end of the table barring his path and sliding himself underneath it, propelling himself forward with an extra push. Mid-slide, Sol propped his leading foot on the ground, allowing him to shift all his weight upwards, rising to a running position and continuing his escape towards the backyard.

Star smirked slyly at Marco "See! I told you he could do parkour!"

Marco rubbed his eyes tiredly "I didn't say he couldn't, I said he shouldn't. He's 6! He doesn't need climbing lessons."

"But he looks cool" Star clicked her tongue, pointing her fingers at Marco in an attempt to convince him it was alright.

Marco said nothing, simply gesturing towards their son as Nova made her way off the couch, gripping the wand tightly before shouting at the top of her voice "Humming Bird strike!"

There was a bright flash of light, 3 rainbow colored humming birds began streaking towards the retreating figure of Sol with a speed matched only by a bullet, yht sudden gust of wind caused by the birds shaking and rattling the contents of the kitchen as the living projectiles made their way through the backyard.

The birds inched closer to Sol with every passing moment, their speed too great for the young boy to outrace on foot. Luckily for Sol, that wasn't his plan.

With one mighty leap, Sol jumped onto the fence separating the Diaz's from their next door neighbor and pushed off with his foot, climbing with such grace and speed one would think he was part spider. Upon reaching the top of the barrier, Sol stood directly on the thin edge between the two homes, giving the illusion he was standing thin air. He turned on his feet, facing the wrathful Nova and gave a mocking bow. With only a moment to spare, Sol leapt backwards to the neighboring yard, tauntingly waving goodbye to his sister as the humming birds impaled themselves into the wood, flapping their wings uselessly, trying to get free.

The triumphant quiet of Sol's victory lasted a millisecond as a blaring crash echoed loudly through the air, Sol's voice quickly calling out "I'm okay! Oh hi Mrs. Flynn-Shapiro!"

Marco's face was completely still, locked in a 'I told you so' pattern while Star anxiously chuckled, smiling a nervous grin towards her husband.

Marco let out a defeated sigh, it was far too early in the morning to deal with this and far too late to have stopped it.

Nova stomped furiously into the kitchen, hellbent on getting even with Sol when Marco rose his hand, stopping her in her tracks.

Nova's rage vanished at once, replaced with a sheepish smirk at the sight over the completely overturned and messy kitchen.

Marco's eyes were firm, clearly waiting for some sort of explanation.

"It's Sol's fault!" Nova began, pointing accusingly at the fence her brother just escaped over, the cries of Sol yelling "GIVE THAT BACK KITTY!" loudly through the neighborhood.

Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." Nova shrank, playing with strains of her light brown hair in her hands "He took something from me."

Marco shook his head "Yes, usually to annoy you and given the fact you were willing to kill him via death by humming bird, I take it it was something Connor related."

Nova's half glare, half denial look was something Marco never thought he'd ever see on someone's face. The mere idea the two looks could be combined into one was...was pretty far fetched but Nova pulled it off.

Nova mumbled under her breath, her pink hearts beginning to glow with a faint light that Marco recognized from his time being Star's best friend and love as embarrassment.

"W-well..." Nova stammered "Connor's parents took this picture of us laughing at the table. it...I look really cute and Connor is actually smiling in a photo for once so umm...well... Sol took it from me!"

"With his reasoning being?"

"Novy has lots of pictures of Connor!" Sol's voice came from out of nowhere, his face upside down as he peered downwards at his family from the roof "It's only fair I get one of my big brother."

"Sol!" Nova snarled "Give it back! And quit calling him that! You'll give him the wrong idea!"

"What?" Sol shot back, winking at Nova "That you like him!"

Nova stamped her foot angrily on the floor "I DON'T LIKE HIM!"

"Riiiiight" Sol nodded, obviously not buying it "My bad, you loooooove him!"

Nova said nothing, aiming her wand towards Sol who epped and retreated back onto the roof, his footsteps scurrying directly above the other's heads.

"Nova Analise Butterfly!" Star cut in causing Nova to shudder in fear. Her mother never used her full name unless she was in trouble.

"Yes mommy?" Nova tried her hardest to be the level headed teen she always claimed she was but she couldn't help but revert back to her child-like voice of innocence, hoping it would pacify Star.

"You do not try to kill your brother with the wand!" Star scolded her daughter, Marco behind her agreeing with every word "You get even with him while he's weak or distracted, preferably both like when he has a cold or is watching his television program with the creepy bear and his friends and do it like a true Mewan! With your bare hands!"

Marco began to nod only to stop and truly process Star's speech "Star?"

"And another thing, don't get caught I will punish you. Dem the rules Novy!" Star went on like she said nothing wrong.

Nova and Marco shared a look and decided maybe it was best to simply let the subject go.

"I'm...going to...go get ready for school" Nova said slowly, inching her way out of the room before making a mad dash up the stairs.

Star smiled brightly, happy she could share such meaningful advice while reinforcing the rules.

Marco glanced around the dirtied kitchen, scratching his chin, attempting to figure out the best way to clean up this mess in a few minutes. He had to get ready for work but this mess was going to take at least an hour to fix.

"Psst" Star waved Marco off, having caught sight of that look in his eyes "Don't worry honey, I'll fix it up!"

Before Marco could interject about how she planned to do that, Star gripped the handle of the object in her hand tightly, making an unnecessary twirl, rising the item high into the air while saying with such conviction "Auto fixy kitchen cleany!"

Star flourished with her hand, closing her eyes, waiting for the magic to take hold.

"Umm...sweetie?"

Star did not like Marco's tone.

She opened her eyes only to find the kitchen was still a mess, nothing magically moving to put itself back in its proper place or toss itself in the trash if it was broken.

"Huh?" Star raised an eyebrow in confusion at the sight of the still untidy room.

"Star" Marco told her quietly "That's a spatula."

Star peered to the item in her hand, a black and gray spatula in lieu of the magical wand that was supposed to be there.

"Yes. so it is" Star answered, tapping the utensil against her lips in thought "And my wand isssss where?"

"With Nova. She's 14 now dear. The wand is her responsibility now."

"I see, I see" Star nodded, face scrunched up in concentration "And that means that I'm going to have to..."

"Clean this by hand, yes" Marco finished for her.

"..."

"Star?"

"..."

"Staaaar?"

"...UGH!" Star threw up her hands in defeat, falling backwards and laying down on the floor, sprawled out while she stared at the ceiling.

Marco snickered, leaning down to give his wife a quick peck on the lips "And remember, Sol has his doctor's appointment today too."

"Ugh, adult things" Star whined, squeeing internally as Marco fell for her trap and reached down to give her another, longer kiss.

"Have a good day sweetie, I need to get ready"

"Bye MARCO! I'll kiss you at the door!" Star called after his footsteps ascending up the stairs.

Star laid there, frowning at all the work she had to do now that she didn't have the wand.

"Ugh, this is hard!" Star complained loudly

She reached for the sky with both arms, clutching them dramatically as she pleaded with the ceiling "Oh laser puppy! Grant me your guidance! I totally forgot that lesson about relying on the wand too much!"

Star's cry was met with silence

Star let out a sigh when she felt furry brush past her arm.

She glanced upward to find an upside down Rocky staring at her curiously.

"Will you guide me Rocky?" Star asked hopefully "Will you teach me how to do things...by hand? Without magic?"

Rocky stared at her for a moment before pawing at the queen's nose, striding away after she had accomplished its goal.

"FINE THEN!" Star shouted "LASER PUPPY WAS A BETTER SPIRIT ANIMAL THINGY ANYWAY! AND CUTER TOO! ...OKAY MAYBE NOT AS CUTE AS YOU BUT DEFINITELY MORE HELPFUL!"

Star looked at the spatula in her hand "You'll help me right Mr. Spatula?"

Mr. Spatula nodded its head in agreement.

"Thank you Mr. Spatula."

* * *

Marco let a quick prayer, grateful the car ride to the school was uneventful.

Marco parked his little family sedan into the faculty parking, quickly giving his professional clothing a look over in the car's rear view mirror. Suit well pressed, shirt perfected as usual with his tie perfectly unwrinkled.

"Dad, stop fixing yourself, mom's home, not at the school.

Marco turned and winked towards Nova in the passenger seat of his car. She was dressed in her usual attire rather than the dress she surprised Connor with other day. She wore Star's devil hairband, one of his old red hoodies that was just a little too big on her (Enough that she could tuck most of her hand inside if she got too cold with only her fingers sticking out). A pink undershirt peeked from underneath the hoodie, a knee black length skirt with pink and blue stockings covering her pale legs and tucked into a pair of boots with shark-like teeth in the front and a fin sticking out of the top of either shoe.

"You know your mom likes to surprise your dad at school Novy."

Marco glanced gratefully towards Connor hidden away in the back seat, no longer wearing the suit that distracted Nova so thoroughly.

Connor was more low key in terms of clothing. His jet black hair was an unkempt messy as always, his forest green eyes saw the world through a pair of thin, circular wire frame glasses. He wore his white t-shirt with black crescent moon in the center, a pair of light brown khaki shorts given the weather was warmish around this time (Well at least for Connor) and a pair of black sneakers completing the look.

"Nobody asked you four eyes"

"You're talking to me now so I guess your name is nobody? Shame, I really liked Nova."

Nova shot a glare towards her best friend, equal parts playful and annoyed.

"No killing each other today" Marco gently chastised them "You have discussion on Hamlet today and there is no extra credit"

"Dad! Why can't you tell me this before we get to school?" Nova complained, unbuckling her safety belt.

"Because if I did, that would be cheating" Marco pinched Nova's cheek lovingly, silently laughing at her attempts to pull away before anyone else saw her.

"What is the point of you being my English teacher if you don't help me!"

"I need money to provide a loving home and life for you, your brother and your beautiful mother."

Nova stuck her tongue in faux disgust "Eww, dad! Not at school!"

"Your mother" Marco began, a teenage accent added for effect "Is so hot and so cute and I could kiss her all day! Especially is one little spot on her neck that just drives her..."

"Okay! I'm out!" Nova conceded, popping open the car door and rushing into the outside "See you in 2nd period dad! Hurry up four eyes!"

"Bye Mr. Diaz, Nova wait up!"

* * *

Echo Creek Academy hadn't changed much in the years since Marco and Star graced its halls with their presence. Well okay the buildings were a lot newer given a certain monster's psychological need to possess the wand for some reason. But that was years ago, now Echo Creek Academy had experienced Star Butterfly and the wave of insanity that came when she married one Marco Diaz.

With Earth finally able to travel between dimensions, various treaties were broker to ensure its safety. Earth was now home to various dimensional beings and while not everyone on the entire planet was on board with such a change (Coughnorthkoreacough) most welcomed it with opened arms or at least a polite indifference. Mostly. Kinda. There was a lot of adjusting still to be made but Earth now enjoy such things as magically powered items, potions, new and exotic creatures that were both beautiful and absolutely terrifying. President Ferguson worked hard to keep Earth in balanced with the new found things pouring into their dimension.

Echo Creek Academy remained rather human based with only a few foreign exchange students coming in from other planes of existence.

One such being was Vikor, the eldest son of Nova's Uncle Yvgeny "Buff Frog" Bulgoyaboff's brood but they was currently asleep in their fountain home in the Diaz's backyard. Something about their hibernating cycle being from October to November.

"Look four eyes, why don't you just enter the stupid talent show? Everyone knows you'll win simply by inventing something and it's something you can put on your college application. Know it all inventor invents win at talent show."

Connor looked unconvinced at Nova's supportive words, twisting the dials on his locker instead of responding.

"Look Connor" Nova tried again, swinging open her locker with a mighty tug, hands aching from the effort needed to open the door "You need a confidence booster and this could help! Imagine winning first place!"

Connor shrugged casually, his locker door sliding open on its own, a skeletal metallic robotic hand with a book held tightly in its grip moved forward into place, waiting for Connor to grab it.

"See, like that!" Nova gestured to the affectionately named Peter the robotic claw "You could build something and totally win!"

"Why don't you try out Nova?" Connor countered, giving her a knowing grin "Heard you're a princess"

"S-so?"

"Apparently all Butterfly's can sing"

"I...I...psst. I...I can't sing" Nova muttered quietly, trying to ignore her best friend's gaze.

"Right Novy, whatever you say"

Nova glared playfully towards her best friend while running her hand through his messy hair "When are you going to fix your hair? It's always so unkempt!"

Connor could feel his cheeks heating up as Nova's fingers ran through his hair, trying to resist the urge not to fold under her touch.

"Fine, why don't you fix it for me?" Connor shot back, smugly smiling when he twisted his body to face her, his forest green eyes meeting her electric blue ones "Since you have a problem with my hair"

Nova reluctantly pulled her hand away, turning away from her best friend while whispering softly "I never said I didn't like it, I just said when are you going to fix it"

Connor ruffled his hair devilishly, his hair becoming even more wild and untamed "Because it's what makes me Connor. Besides, you like it."

"Whatever you say four eyes" Nova replied, shutting her locker door and pivoting away from Connor, trying her hardest not to race to Mr. Greason's music class.

"I didn't hear a no!" Connor called after her, hurrying after the magical princess who simply answered "that doesn't make it a yes!"

* * *

"Now who can tell me what note is the root for the Eb alto saxophone for a c major scale?" One time bad boy, now respected music teacher Oskar Greason dully asked his class, his new, more mature hiding the fact that deep inside, he was pretty much the same person from all those years ago though his compassion and empathy for others has been a welcome addition to his little character often shown.

Nova sighed, trying to rack her brain in hopes to getting the answer, the alto sax in her hands doing nothing to help her concentration or provide the answer.

"I know!"

Nova's eyes narrowed at the perfect, melodic voice of Missy Lynn Thomas, little miss amazing at everything.

Once upon a time Jackie Lynn Thomas married one Justine whatshislastname, a blonde haired, blue eyed football player from Marco and Star's school days. While they two made good friends, they weren't much for a romantic pairing and decided to part ways as friendly as they could though not before having Missy.

Missy had medium length blonde hair that reached the back of her neck with random streaks of red hair dye lined within. She had a pale blue eyes and despite her mother's tomboyish nature, she dressed rather feminine, often wearing summer dresses and blouses with today's being a green dress and white blouse combo.

Nova liked Missy, she truly did. She was cool to talk to, had this insanely well kept 4.0 GPA (With Connor being her only rival on the matter). All in all she was a nice girl.

The problem was that Connor liked her too. Liked her liked her. She was pretty, loved to tinker with things (Which made Connor as giddy as a school girl) and was just perfect in every way. She had this natural charm and grace that often made Nova wonder if she had royal blood in her veins.

"It's G Mr. Greason" Missy answered cheerfully, wide smile filled with pride, her flute-like voice causing Connor to sigh lovingly, his attention focused on the first chair saxophone Missy.

Nova smacked Connor's arm, nearly causing him to tumble out of his chair and drop the very, very expensive and fragile Bassoon he was holding onto the floor.

"What?" Connor harshly whispered.

"Keep your tongue in your mouth!" Nova scolded, smacking his arm again for good measure "Missy's going to think you're a creep if you staring at her."

"Says the girl who does nothing _but_ stares at Roman"

Nova would've glared at Connor, would've smacked the back of his head and add a loud, teasing barb about how Connor was checking Missy out.

Except

just hearing the name Roman paralyzed Nova with affection, her cheeks brightly glowing in spite of herself as she tried to regain control of herself.

"Mr. Sinclair" Oskar's droll voice called out "Miss Butterfly, something you'd like to share with the rest of the class? I would like to remind you we're here to learn how to play an instrument, not flirt in the back of the class."

Connor hid behind his music stand, cheeks blazing with embarrassment as Nova quickly cried out "Connor and I were discussing music! Music I say!"

Oskar chuckled softly, shaking his head in disappointment "Don't let me catch you discussing 'music' again, not in my class."

"Not discuss music in music class?" Nova cried out, appalled and surprised "How counterproductive Mr. Greason"

Oskar opened his mouth but was quickly cut off by the ringing of the school bell, freeing his students from his grasp for another day.

* * *

Marco wasn't sure what was causing today's sparring match but given how close Connor and Nova were to one another, he wasn't too worried. The two liked to participate in aggressive flirting as Star would call it and given the fact they were just inches apart from the other meant they weren't really angry. Besides, this feed directly into the day's subject anyway and Marco was trying to enjoy the show, quietly munching on the bag of popcorn he had hidden away in his desk.

"What, are you kidding me?!" Nova shouted, slamming her hands onto the desk before pointing directly at her best friend, poking him in the chest aggressively "What the hell do you mean Hamlet really loved Ophelia!? He purposely broke her heart!"

"To save her!" Connor repeated for the 5th time, taking a strain of Nova's hair in his hand and flicking it into her face "He was trying to get her out of the castle because he didn't know who he could trust! He didn't want to put her in danger and he knew that he was probably going to die! He didn't want her to waste her life away mourning for a lost love!"

"That's stupid!" Nova shot back "If you truly love someone, you'll be with them no matter what! You'd face the challenges of life together! It isn't sweet if you let one person do all the lifting! It's stupid!"

"Sometimes you have to do what you have to do even without someone you truly care about!"

"How would you know four eyes?!"

"Because it happens!"

Nova and Connor just stared at each other, neither willing to back down from the other's challenge.

Marco could see the rest of the students eye the pair of best friends carefully, wondering if they were finally admit that their own personal views may be hitting closer to home than either would like to admit.

The intercom crackled to life, startling everyone out of their stupor "Marco Diaz, Skeeves here. Phone's broken. I need to talk to you in the prinipal's office."

Marco shook himself out his daze, warning the class to behave themselves or he'd sic Star on them and made his way out of the classroom briskly.

Nova and Connor sat back down, their adjacent, separated seats pushed together at once without any conscious effort from the duo.

"Still can't believe you think that" Nova scoffed, pulling her bag onto her table and began searching for her little baggy of treats.

"Hey, it's my opinion, does it really matter?" Connor replied, pulling two cartons of juice from the depths of his backpack, placing one on his desk and its matching set onto Nova's

"Of course it does four eyes." Nova held up the baggy of assorted candy triumphantly, dumping the contents onto the shared desks.

Like a perfectly oiled machine, the pair began sorting out their individual favorites from the heap while also taking care to gently push the other's preferred sweet to their side of the desk.

"I mean I never got that whole self sacrificing bit" Nova admitted, dropping several handfuls of M&Ms onto Connor's side "But I think it's stupid. I mean how is living without the person you love saving them?"

"Well" Connor responded, handing some smarties to Nova, trying not to think how soft her hand felt against his "I think it is because you love the person enough that you're willing to give up your own life to make sure they live. So they have a chance to be happy again"

Nova shook her head "But how is living without the person you love okay?"

"Sometimes we lose something" Connor conceded "But we might find something when we keep moving forward. Something like what we lost. Or maybe even better."

"I don't want something 'better' if it means losing you four eyes"

The class did a double take, Nova finally seemingly confessing her true feelings towards her best friend. Eager hands reached out for their cash earnings from the Covy bet pool while losers sulked in defeat.

"Me too Nova, no one could ever replace you as my best friend."

The two shared a small, gentle smile before chowing down on their smuggled goods, the romantic implications of their confession sailing over their denser than steel heads.

Frustrated groans and sighs of relief echoed through the class room as the exchanging of money ceased at once.

Then without warning, a swirling vortex appeared from above Mr. Diaz's desk, its black hue an ominous sign to the children of the class room.

Nova narrowed her eyes, pushing out her desk while rising to her feet with Connor quickly following suit.

"Nova?" Connor said with a worried tone.

"Ludo." Nova growled as the diminutive creature strode out of the portal and landed face down onto the desk.

"Oww, I could've sworn that used to be lower." Ludo groaned, rubbing his chin.

Ludo was still as tiny as ever though now his age began to show, little wisps of graying hair springing up here and though over his body like weeds. His skull cap was the same though there were noticeably more cracks in it, probably caused by Star fending Ludo off throughout her lifetime.

"Nova Butterfly" Ludo said with a sneer "Finally! The wand passes to you and now I shall pry it from your weak, defenseless..."

Nova and Connor flinched, closing their eyes as bearicorn burst forth from the swirling vortex, landing ontop of Ludo and crushing his boss with his over sized weight.

"Eh, sorry boss!" Bearicorn apologized, quickly scurrying to free the pinned Ludo.

Ludo weakly maoned, his little clawed hand gripping the table tightly before Spike Balls plopped into the dimension, crushing both Ludo and Marco's desk flat.

"Where's the boss?" Spike Balls deep yet soft voice asked Bearicorn curiously

"Uh, umm you're sitting on him" Bearicorn nervously pointed to his fellow monster's butt.

Spike Balls rose to a crouching position (since he was too large for the room)

Ludo didn't move, didn't breath in fear that another one of his loyal minions would come running into the dimension and crush him flat once more.

The room was filled with an awkward silence as the students slowly filed out, learning from their parents when a Butterfly fight is happening, if you are not good at fighting, get good at getting out of the way.

Connor stood his ground, refusing to leave despite Nova's gentle pushing on his chest.

"Connor, go. it's too dangerous for you."

"No way Nova." Connor held her hand, gripping it tightly in his own "We're partners in crime. I'm not leaving you."

Nova felt her heart race as the warmth from Connor's palm began spreading through out her own body. She held on tight, hoping Connor knew what he was doing.

"Is that it?" Bearicorn wondered, peering closer towards the portal "I guess that's it"

"T...then what are you waiting for?" Ludo wheezed, sucking in air with every other word "GET ME THAT WAND!"

"Well it looks like it's my first day on the job" Nova grinned, expertly twirling her wand as the two monsters rushed towards her

Connor squeezed Nova's hand "You mean our first day on the job."

"Of course Connor. Shall we?"

"Naturally"

Connor gripped the bottom of his table tightly, using all his strength to flip it over, showering and scattering the sugary candies all over the approaching monsters.

Spike Balls was unaffected by the sudden attack, shielding himself with oversized hands in the tiny classroom but Bearicorn was caught unaware, his battle cry muffled by a chocolate bar that managed to lodge itself into his throat.

As Bearicron clutched at his neck, trying to get the air flow going again, Spike Balls went on the attack, swinging wide with the back of his hand.

A wall of backpacks, chairs, supplies and papers came straight for Nova and Connor, threatening to crush them underneath the wave of school heading straight for them.

"Bouncey Launcher Shield!" Nova cried, flourishing her wand over Connor and her own head. A clear, rubbery bubble covered them just in time as the wall collided with them full force, popping their protection.

But instead of being crushed to death, the two were propelled out of the class room, crashing into the wall with such speed one might've thought they broke every bone in their body but the spell cushioned their fall, preventing serious injuries though leaving them unsteady for a moment.

"Well that was new" Connor chuckled, the happy moment ruined as Bearicorn came charging out of the classroom, horn pointed directly towards Connor's side.

Nova roughly shoved Connor backwards, Bearicorn's horn narrowly missing skewering the young inventor.

Without missing a beat, Connor leapt onto Bearicorn's back, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck and trying to subdue the bear unicorn hybrid

The candy shot out of Bearicorn's mouth, sticking against the wall with a coating gross, sticky looking saliva.

Bearicron coughed violently, gasping large amounts of air in before turning to Connor "Eh gee thanks"

"Oh...no problem"

Connor was nearly bucked off as Bearicorn angrily thrashed, trying to dislodge the teen from his back.

"Connor!" Nova yelled, cupping her hands together in an attempt to be heard over the struggling of the two males "Connor!"

"What!" Connor shout back, clearly annoyed at Nova's timing.

"It's like riding Styx!"

Connor was confused by the name "The unicorn!?"

"Yes!" Nova cheered, joyful that Connor remembered "It's just like that only furrier and more aggressive! Just grip his fur tight and try to steer him into a pole or something!"

"Nova! Styx wasn't trying to kill me and we were 10! This is not the same thing!"

"Same principle!" Nova admitted, shrieking in surprise as Spike Balls came crashing through the doorway

"Sorry" Spike Balls apologized, looking sheepishly at the broken wall and door, the lower half of his body stuck inside the now massive opening.

"DON'T APOLOGIZE!" Ludo's snarls came from within "GET ME THE WAND!"

Nova ducked under Spike Balls swipe, taking steps backwards as the giant pushed the rest of his body into the hallway.

"Homing Bird Strike!" Nova flicked her waist like she was hitting a tennis ball, a trio of rainbow colored birds span around around each other, chirping angrily before digging their sharpened beaks into Spike Balls arm.

Spike Balls let out a pained yell, batting the struggling birds away, watching them sail through the air helplessly before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

Spike Balls rushed forward, slamming one fist into the ground, deeply embedded it into the tile flooring before pulling himself forward, alternating pulling between his two hands as he closed the gap between him and Nova.

Nova began backing away, casting any and every spell she could think of towards the approaching giant.

"Chocolate Icicle blast!"

"Violet Pinwheel Disc!"

"Disco Ball Blast"

Nova covered her eyes as the brightly shining disco ball collided with Spike Balls face, exploding a flash of blinding light and pink smoke.

Nova coughed, waving her hands to clear the obstructing fog when Spike Balls fist came racing out of the smoke, crashing into her and sending her skidding onto the floor.

Nova weakly groaned as the wand slipped out of her grasp.

"Whoa, stop it! STOP IT!" Connor cried, holding on for dear life as Bearicorn snarled and raged, wildly swiping the air in an attempt to get Connor to let go

"Eh, why should I? You're the one on my back!"

"Fair point!" Connor eeped, holding on for dear life as Bearicorn renewed his furious attacks

Connor caught sight of Nova falling to the ground, her long light brown spraying outward like the sun, the wand falling out of her grasp and sliding away from her.

Connor felt a white hot rage fill his body at the sight of his injured best friend.

Connor smashed his fist against Bearicorn's head, not enough to hurt but it did make the monster jump. Connor gripped Bearicorn's horn tightly, leaning forward with all his weight forcing the monster to tumble forward and start running to maintain balance.

Connor narrowed his eyes, slipping his glasses into his pocket as Bearicorn approached his target: Spike Balls giant rear end.

With a might cry, Connor leapt from Bearicorn's back, rolling repeatedly as he hit the ground roughly, the send of shattering glass and bent thin metal letting him know his glasses did not survive the fall.

Blurry eyed, Connor took solace when Bearicorn's horn found its target, poking Spike Ball's left cheek, causing the larger monster to howl in pain.

Instinctively, Spike Ball raised his head, the injury forcing him to hit his head against the low level ceiling.

Nova regained her bearings in time to see Spike Balls with eyes closed, clutching his head as softly as he could with his pointy hands, the dent above him cluing Nova in on how to defeat him.

Nova scrambled for her wand, diving for it, sliding on her belly across the slick tile floor before slowing to a halt, the wand firmly in her hand

She pivoted on her side, aiming her wand carefully at the direct center of Spike Balls head, the only area unprotected by his massive hands.

"Super Punch out!"

Spike Balls opened his eyes in time to see a giant bright blue boxing glove coming straight for him before it hit him full on in the face and then, darkness.

Bearicorn swayed to his feet, holding his bruised horn gently when he saw a shadow cover him entirely. He looked up in time to see the towering Spike Balls fall backwards directly on top of him.

"Connor!" Nova cried, rushing to the aid of her best friend who was patting the ground like he was trying to ensure it was still there.

"Nova?" Connor asked uneasily "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Nova frowned as Connor searched for her face, his forest green eyes narrowing focus as he tried to spot her in a sea of blurry vision.

Nova reached for his pocket at once, pulling out his now bent, broken glasses from within.

"Super Fix Repairy!" She flicked her wand and like magic, the glasses reformed themselves, looking like Connor just brought them yesterday.

Carefully, Nova placed Connor's glasses back onto his face, her hands sliding against his cheeks more lovingly than she'd like to admit.

"Thanks Nova" He said

He could feel his heart stop when Nova leaned forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his body and squeezing tightly. Connor couldn't fight off the smile, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding his best friend just as tight.

"THE WAND!" Ludo's cried from nowhere, the little imp like creature rushing at them at top speed.

But before he could get far, he found himself crashing into an obstacle at full force.

A shoe to be exact.

Marco's face was devoid of emotion as he gingerly picked up Ludo, holding the imp creature by the scuff of his collar.

"Ugh...what hit me?" Ludo groggily moaned

"Me" Marco stated simply, walking over to the other fallen monsters, tossing Ludo onto the pile.

"I...it's you! The karate boy!" Ludo pointed his claw angrily at him "Mark my words I will get the..."

Ludo's threat became screams of terror as Marco pulled out a pair of dimensional scissors, cutting through the fabric of reality and giving the trio a solid kick into the swirling vortex.

Marco turned to see the destruction of the hallway. Floor tiles cracked, walls scraped and even bent inward, a large dent in the ceiling and an entire classroom's worth of supplies, desks and backpacks crushed and crumpled all over the hall.

But it warmed Marco's heart to see Nova and Connor locked in a loving embrace, holding each other like nothing else in the world mattered just the fact the other was safe.

A light cough caught Marco's attention and he turned around to see the unimpressed face of Principal Skeeves staring at him with annoyance in his eyes

"So as we discussed in my office Mr. Diaz" Skeeves said with a tired voice "With Nova in charge of the wand, I take it the monster's attacks will be a recurring thing...again."

"Yeah...probably" Marco admitted, looking back and smiling at Connor helping Nova to her feet, Nova trying to push him away as he checked her injuries.

"Oh..." Skeeves said with sigh, rubbing his eyes wearily "Here we go again."


	3. Romantic Implications

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here and here is the newest nova. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. it's because your support that writing so much fun for me.

a special thanks to h mae- i am very glad you are enjoying the aftermath of star vs which is funny since the show isn't over haha. and covy loves you too. thank you for your kind words and support mae!

fabio- wow, that's a lot of sugar. are we talking world's supplies or country? I am glad you enjoyed it so much. there's about a quarter of a million dollars ready to be claimed by the victors of the covy pool so...yeah they pay attention to everything. no i am just the writer, you are the man and every reader is amazing! :D

Finn: Skeeves about 52 years old at this point. and she is star's daughter, might take a while.

Sonicelite: I totally agree, pre voice changed Asa Butterfield would be perfect for sol. I love tara but i still think there's a better fit for nova. or i could be wrong. she's tara strong, she's got plenty to do and yes agreed, jason "Dipper" ritter as connor? perfect. Yeah he pretty much drowns himself in it every time a butterfly shows up in his school. haha well not yet, this is the beginning of the series and i have a lot plan.

Warhusky: haha yeah skeeves just can't catch a break with Butterfly's. haha let's turn it again!

Smitty Theroies: the rest were too busy going shopping for Ludo. they hadn't realized ludo was going to attack and thus weren't at the castle when Ludo realized Nova got the wand.

What if: Yes the journey of a thousand laughs begins with a single chuckle. yeah these first chapters are long because i also have to world build since this isn't the exact same setting as the show. so they won't get as long *Hopefully* unless it's a super special event or something. that is the plan, development of characters here with lots of different interactions and the oneshots are pure romantic fluff. haha Connor fighting Nova's suitors?

princessxgilex- thank you for your review and i will be sneaking things i love into this story just because i can. so maybe more hints on phinabella.

Anoymins- Skeeves is seriously considering retiring soon. he doesn't know if he can handle another butterfly. Yes yes it was. i'll be sprinkling little nods and references to shows, couples i love just as my little aww i miss them. they won't be a part of the story probably just little cameos. Yes Marco and Star are great friends with Phineas and Isabella. Vanessa is actually Ferguson's vice president. she didn't want the full job a second time but did still want a postilion of power. I am so glad you enjoyed this so much and i hope i can keep it up.

RiderZ; I know that song, have your heard the duet or seen the animated version of that? its really awesome if you haven't.

MaFx: most people agree it's his confidence and lovable, rascally nature. He takes his job as little brother seriously which includes bothering nova and pushing her to get with his favorite person in the world Connor. haha yeah i couldn't resist giving Star some trouble about the wand and it'll be her own little story arc in this story. Star believes that she has no right when it comes to siblings fighting. it's just nature working itself out. While Marco may give Connor some lessons about karate, connor won't be using them much because by the time Star came around, Marco already had a few years inside karate class and COnnor can't learn that quickly. Skeeves isn't happy but he is used to it and the final covy moment before they date will take a while. got some trials and life to go through. stay awesome too my amazing reader!

Grim: here you are, one fresh order of covy.

tanner; I am happy they made you laugh. Star is a comedy show after all and thus this story must be too! thanks for you support tanner!

So before i keep going, really quickly Bernadette over star-marionettej2x on tumblr has been spoiling me rotten not only drawing the ultimate tease scene from the one shot Novaberty but also doodles of Connor and Nova. if you were wondering how Nova's wand looks because i failed to describe in great detail here, give it a look. it's pretty much what i imagined. and i might use the doodle of nova to order my own nova plushie (if she doesn't mind).

also a very special mention here to Finn63 who did a great animated work of Starco that i highly recommend you see. a lot of hard work went into it and you can find it on his tumblr at finnjr63. go watch it now. trust me.

So here we go, the following day after Ludo's attack and the proper intro to our favorite romantic rivals. i will be adding a few ocs because instead them drifting through school i went them to actually feel a part of school which means i need to create a few more characters for them to interact with like Jack. who premeres here.

So before i really let you into the story quick question. in order to the one you want to see most to least, what stories would you like to see first. uncle Ferguson visit, Nova taking care of Sol and finally a regular day at school. if you review, please let me know.

so that's it. thank you for ever single review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and make me so happy that i have amazing readers in this great fandom.. have an awesome day! I'm off to work on ladybug au. i own some things, not starco and enjoy!

* * *

Connor smiled, nodding as best as he could under the constant barrage of information he was receiving the hyper energetic person in front of him. Today he was wearing the black shirt, sliver crescent moon variation of his usual attire, trying his hardest to find some sort of way to escape from the current situation he found himself.

"And I still remembered when I tried to make Miss Skullnick cuter only to accidentally turn her into a troll! Man was that a surprise or the time we took an interdimensional field trip only for the class to be captured and nearly eaten by this strange yarn monster thing! And Ferguson and Alfonzo became two halves of a centaur and Sabrina just kept falling and falling and falling and falling and falling and..."

Connor gave a nervous smile "That's great Mrs. Butterfly..."

"It's Diaz now" Star pouted cutely, ignoring the clear discomfort in Connor's face "or maybe I should make it Diaz-Butterfly. Butterfly-Diaz? Hmm I'll work on it. Anyway..."

"Mom!" Nova interrupted quickly, still trying to pry Sol from climbing all over her back and distracting the magical princess further.

Star blinked, turning to face Nova with a wide smile, Star's long sleeved blue blouse with a giant heart printed in the center, pink skirt combo with matching flip flops giving the Queen of Mewni a more motherly look than all powerful ruler vibe.

"Yes Novy?" Star grinned cheerfully at her daughter, internally cooing at Nova's outfit. Those devil horns looked great on her and Marco's old hoodie? So cute! And she was really digging the blue and pink stripes stocking with those shark boots and that cute black skirt with white trim. Nova really upped clothing choice this year.

"School's about to start" Nova motioned embarrassingly to the rest of the quad, every single student and teacher remaining frozen in place at the sight of the legendary Star Butterfly standing among them in their school's humble little halls.

Star scoffed, waving her hand dismissively "This is your first year in high school! I've never shared all the wonderful times I've had here! Like when I accidentally turned everyone in Star obsessed zombies!"

"Star obsessed zombies?" Connor questioned before Sol leapt into his arms, begging Connor for the usual piggyback ride. Connor smiled at the young boy and happily complied with his wish, hoisting Sol onto his shoulders while still politely paying attention to Star.

"Sol!" Nova chastised "Get off him! We're in school! We don't have time for games."

Sol looked skyward thoughtfully, placing a finger on his tiny chin. Today he was dressed in his usual attire of a red and black striped shirt and brown shorts.

"Connor?" Sol asked cutely, adding a little extra sweetness to his voice "What time is it?"

Connor glanced at his wrist watch "It's about 7:35?"

"and when does the bell ring?"

"Umm 7:50"

"So we have 15 minutes to play, right Novy?" Sol smugly smirked towards his older sister.

Nova openly glared at Sol who began mouthing "Connor and Novy sitting in a tree"

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Nova asked carefully, trying to ignore the single minded fixation the rest of the population was basking on her mother, their star struck eyes and constant whispering making Nova feel very uncomfortable at the levels of attention and admiration that her mother was drawing.

That she always drew no matter where they went.

"Oh, I'm here to drop off this! TA DA!" Star flourished with a spatula, a sprinkling of glitter from a small container taped to the inanimate object raining down all over Nova as Star handed her daughter a small bagged lunch "You forgot your lunch and since the high school is on the way to Sol's practice..."

"Sol's soccer practice is on the other side of town, in the other direction mom" Nova answered with a deadpanned voice, knowing the true reason her mother was here.

"Practically on the way to Sol's practice" Star corrected, still beaming joyfully "I figured I pop in and drop this off! By the way, you haven't seen your father around have you?"

Nova could feel her cheeks redden, her mother's wandering gaze confirming her greatest fear: that she was here for her father and if she was here for her father, that meant...

"HI HONEY!" Star yelled with enough force for her voice to carry through the halls of the school, waving frantically to ensure the passing Marco caught sight of her.

Marco strolled over well dressed as ever, more hushed whispers of admiration filling the quad as Star leapt onto Marco, crushing him underneath a fierce hug.

"haha Star" Marco chuckled, trying not to let his cheeks blaze red from his wife's loving affection

"Marco!" Star cheered back

"Star!"

"Marco!"

"What are you doing here?" Marco questioned, gently placing Star's feet back on the ground.

"I'm here for my Marco kiss!" Star answered like her intention at suddenly arriving at the high school was supposed to be obvious "You left early this morning and didn't give me one so I think you owe me two now." Star emphasized this point by poking her husband's chest.

Marco raised his hands in surrender, shooting Star a goofy smile "okay okay."

Quicker than Marco had expected, Star leaned in and gently pecked his lips softly, giggling at his stun reaction before closing her eyes expectantly.

Marco recovered at once and followed up Star's sudden attack with one of his own, cupping her cheek in his hand and bringing her in closer to deepen the gesture.

"Guys!" Nova whined, covering her eyes at once "not in public! And definitely not at school!"

Connor laughed at Nova's discomfort "Come on Nova, it's not like kissing is the worst thing in the world."

Nova turned to face Connor, the playful smile on his face dazing Nova into a tense silence.

"Shut it four eyes or I'll get your parents to kiss in public and see how it makes you feel!" Nova threatened, adding a glower for good measure.

"Go for it" Connor replied simply "they kiss so much already I am immune from being embarrassed from any form of kissing"

"Psst, yeah right! I bet if Missy came up to you right now offering a kiss, you'd turn bright red and stammer like a fish!"

"I heard my name?" a soft, gentle voice answered from out of nowhere.

Nova and Connor jumped at the sound of the Missy's voice appearing from next to them, the young teenager staring at them, waiting for conformation that she indeed heard them call her name, her blonde, red streaked hair and cute summer blouse combo making her look as pretty as ever.

"M-Missy!" Connor anxiously croaked, rubbing the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous "H-hi! I didn't see you there."

"Hello Missy" Nova greeted the girl, her voice neutral and controlled "How are you?"

"I'm good!" Missy answered brightly, her pale blue eyes lingering on Connor for a moment too long before shifting their gaze onto Nova "and you two?"

"Great!" Connor said overly excitedly "Awesome, well kinda. Nova's embarrassed at..." Connor pointed Marco and Star, still locked in their kiss with no signs they were going to stop soon.

"Wow...th...they're really going at it huh?"

"Ugh" Nova said "I wish they'd stop! Everyone is staring!"

"I think everyone is staring because your mother is the coolest person on Earth" Missy provided, taking a standing position next to Connor.

Nova huffed, immediately swinging past Connor and wrapping her arm around Missy's shoulders in a friendly manner "Still I can't let her make out with my dad all day, any ideas Missy?"

Missy pouted her lips, her eyes narrowing in focus. Connor could feel his heart skip a bit at how cute she looked, lost in thought as Missy tried to figure a way to separate Marco from Star.

Nova noticed Connor's awe struck face and couldn't help but frown in his direction.

"I'm really not sure Nova" Missy concluded with a genuine apologetic tone "I'm just here for Connor."

"M-me?" Connor pointed to himself queasily

Missy nodded cheerfully, breaking free of Nova's grasp and taking a step closer towards the stunned inventor "You don't remember?"

Connor looked confused, unsure what exactly what he was supposed to be remembering. Nova's pouting, almost jealous stare wasn't helping either.

"My necklace?" Missy chimed in helpfully, her pale blue eyes intensely concentrating on Connor's forest green ones

"Necklace..." Connor mouthed, repeating the words until realization struck at him like a lightning bolt "RIGHT! Your necklace, let me just..."

Connor whirled around, scurrying to open his locker as quickly as he could when he finally noticed something.

Nova and Missy shared a concern look with one another while Connor began looking all around, this way and that way, left to down, up to right in search of something.

"You okay four eyes? You seem a bit... _distracted"_ Nova muttered, arms crossed defensively.

"Nova, where's Sol?"

That caught the attention of Starco, the parents of the missing child finally pulling away from each other to notice their youngest was missing.

"Nova" Star growled.

"Connor" Nova snarled

"NOVA!" Star shouted

"CONNOR!" Nova yelled.

"Umm..." Connor replied, opting to simply fish around for Missy's necklace rather than answer.

Nova opened her mouth to call Connor's name again when she saw a strange sight

Missy held her hands behind her back, in front of full view of Nova, her fingers and thumbs twiddling anxiously, the rocking back and forth on her heels revealing how nervous Missy was despite her calm exterior.

Nova's frown deepened, unable to keep the envy out of her electric blue eyes.

"Sol!" Marco called out, not really concerned for his wanderlust child but rather any trouble he might cause while he was here. Skeeves may put up with the antics of Nova and Star but he would not be happy dealing with 3 Butterfly's at once.

"Don't worry Marco" Star raised her hand to stop her worry wart of a husband, pointing to herself with confidence "I got this."

Before Marco or Nova could question what Star had planned, she held Mr. Spatula high into the air, triumphant as she confidently bellowed at the top of her voice "Sol retrieving blood hound!"

There was an awkward silence as, without taking her gaze off the outstretched cooking utensil, she reached into her bag with one hand, pulling out a disgruntled Rocky a moment later and gently placing the raccoon on the ground.

Star let out a mock gasp, covering her heart covered cheeks with both hands, her face morphing into a look of pure surprised as she bent over to the cute little animal.

"Oh look, Rocky's here! Like magic!"

Nova glanced towards her father, hoping for some sort of explanation but Marco just smiled, smiled because that's all he could really do. Star was learning to cope without magic, she would grow out of this...soon...hopefully.

Rocky openly glared at Star, receiving the loudest "aww" Nova had ever heard and reminding the young princess that they had an audience.

Nova lifted the devil horns off her head, pulling over the hood over her long, single braided ponytail and tucking herself deep inside the article of clothing, placing the headband back on her now fabric covered head.

"Rocky, can you do me a favor?" Star asked, big wide puppy dog eyes shot full blast at the disinterested raccoon "Could you find Sol?"

Rocky looked ready to pout, to strut away from the pleading queen when she caught sight of a rare opportunity to torment her favorite target.

Rocky nodded, a little enthusiastically if anyone had been paying close enough attention, and rose to her hind legs, giving Star a respectful salute before dropping onto all fours and racing off at full speed.

Connor closed his locker, carefully holding onto Missy's shell necklace, now outfitted with a shimmering sliver chain, telling Missy as he cautiously handed the precious item back to her "There you go! One fixed necklace WITH brand new chain. It shouldn't break as easily now. Sorry I didn't have it done sooner."

Missy smiled at Connor, causing the glasses wearing teen to flush even worse than he had before and to scratch the back of his head a second time.

Rocky snickered to herself as she ran around Missy's leg, purposely brushing her fur against the girl's exposed legs, resuming her 'search' when she felt Missy sway uneasily back and forth.

Missy fell forward, tripping over Rocky's antics and free falling straight into Connor's arm, her face awkwardly pressed against his chest, her arms sticking in random directions while Connor's managed catch her by her waist.

"Are you okay?" Connor asked quietly, steadying himself first before helping Missy to her feet, feeling his heart race under her grateful smile.

"Yeah...thanks Connor!"

Nova fumed, lightly gripping the wand while trying to resist the urge to blast Missy in the back of her perfect little face but she wouldn't. It was dishonorable and childish.

Nova would take out her the moment they were face to face.

Connor pulled away from Missy who remained in place, tugging at her short, blonde hair anxiously, biting her lip in the cutest way possible.

"Connor..." Missy began softly, their eyes locked onto each other.

"Y-yes Missy?"

"I was wondering..." she took a deep breath and...

"Hi!" Sol's cheerful popped in, the young boy sliding in between Missy and Connor, his warm, infectious smile spreading everyone else in the immediate vicinity.

"Oh" Missy was taken back "hello little boy, who are you?"

"I'm Sol! Nova's little brother."

"You are so cute!" Missy exclaimed, leaning over to get a better view of Sol.

"Aww thanks, you're really pretty!"

"Thank you sol!" Missy couldn't help but return Sol's goofy smile.

"I like hugs, do you want a hug?" Sol asked innocently, his brown eyes at full puppy pout.

"Aww, sure Sol" Missy opened her arms wide and allowed Sol to tackle her in a playful hug.

Sol peered at his big sister and judging how smug his smile was, Sol was expecting something from Nova for keeping Missy away from Connor.

Nova huffed but nodded in agreement, admitting Sol had done a fantastic job ruining the moment without angering anyone. His specialty.

The bell rang loudly, startling everyone involved and those transfixed by the events that just transpired in front of them.

Marco moved in for another kiss while Connor sheepishly smiled towards Missy but Nova had enough for one day.

With one hand around her father's collar and the other holding on to the back of Connor's shirt tightly, Nova began dragging the two of them away from their respective distractions "Come on Romeos. You can kiss mom at home dad and Connor, I don't even want to see you keep drooling at Missy"

"N-Nova!" Connor was appalled, unable to believe Nova would say something outloud in front of his crush!

He frantically looked around for Missy, letting out a sigh of relief when he spotted her turning around the corner, too far gone to have heard anything Nova was saying.

"bye my loves!" Star waved Mr. Spatula towards the retreating figures of Marco and Nova while Sol held onto Star's free hand "Love you! BYE BYE!"

Nova let go of her father and Connor when they approached Marco's English class.

"Haha I get it Nova" Marco laughed at the obvious embarrassment on Nova's face "I won't kiss your mother in public."

"It's okay daddy" Nova told her father "Just try not to look like you're trying to rip off her face please?"

Marco pulled down her hoodie, looking fondly at his little girl growing up right in front of his very eyes "Alright princesa, I'll keep it more low key."

"Thanks dad." Nova's tone shifted from little girl to teenager trying to assert herself away from the daddy's princess image.

Nova turned angrily towards Connor, a righteous fury in her eyes "Come on Romeo, we gotta go to class and I'm not getting detention because you couldn't keep your eyes off of Missy."

"Nova!" Connor called out but it was far too late. Nova stomped off, hands in her pockets and not seeming to care whether Connor was actually following her or not.

Connor looked to Mr. Diaz for help, motioning to his rampaging daughter, wondering if he was going to do anything about her.

Marco smiled at Connor "It's your problem Connor."

Connor let his fall head in defeat, mumbling under his breath as he trudged after his furious best friend.

Marco shook his head, unable to believe how dense Connor really was about Nova's feelings "Well looks like someone's in the dog house."

* * *

The rest of the day did not fare much better. Through music class, Nova had positioned herself as far away from Connor as she could, eyes unable to to even stare in his direction because Nova knew she would stop being mad the moment she stared into his green eyes.

English was just as awkward as Nova hid behind her unbreakable wall of school books, setting up 'the fort' as so affectionately called to avoid contact from anyone.

Brunch Connor didn't even bother, opting to give Nova the space she needed and decided to pass the time by fixing the intercom in the library.

Miss Skullnick's math class was silent and boring as ever, the trollish teacher much more out going and friendly ever since that faithful field trip but still demanding total respect and discipline on days she was tired from her weekly raid parties.

Doctor Brown's class was...well there wasn't as many fires today.

Lunch came and went without much fanfare, Nova slinking into the depths of the school's underbelly to avoid her best friend.

Moon Butterfly was still on vacation with her husband, so the sub Miss Rey was free to teach the children of Earth American history instead of the very long, complex and rather violent Mewnian eras.

And wrapping up the day was P.E with coach Oleander, the short, fiery temper man who may or may not have been rejected from the military and overcompensating about factual denial and his height by acting like a drill sergeant to the poor student populous of Echo Creek Academy.

"Did I say you can stop?" The coach shouted, his face beet red from the constant yelling "I SAID 40 laps not 5! MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

Connor rolled his eyes, his envying the girls casually standing across the field, all paired up in their little groups and lounging around without a care in the world while the boys were forced on marine style march.

"Heeeey buddy" A smooth, playful voice called to Connor from out of nowhere, a friendly arm sliding around his shoulder and drawing him closer to the person it was attached to.

"Oh" Connor mumbled softly, not in the mood to deal with anyone at the moment especially Jack "Hey Jack."

Jack smiled brightly at Connor, wearing the identical plain white school shirt and dark blue running shorts as the other boys in the class, his short, dark blue hair ruffled by the passing wind as his brown eyes glanced at Connor sympathetically, the little black bow tie wrapped around his neck as usual.

"Why so gloom Connie?"

"Don't call me that" Connor grumbled but Jack didn't seem to hear him

"Is it Nova troubles again? Got into a little lover's spat?"

Connor flushed uncontrollably as Jack playfully pinched his cheeks "Cut it out! We're not having a spat!"

"So you're lovers now? Can I cash in my bet?"

"Jack!"

Jack smiled gently at the inventor "Sorry I couldn't resist."

"It's fine...I just..." Connor let out a defeated sigh "Nova keeps doing this. Just randomly getting mad whenever I talk to Missy"

"I see" was the young man's response, his hands automatically reaching into his pockets and pulling out a deck of cards, shuffling them mindlessly "And are you sure it's random?"

"huh?" Connor questioned, watching Jack cut the deck and separate the cards evenly between his fingers.

"Well Nova might be a little hot headed sometimes but she always has a reason for doing these things." Jack explained, fanning out the deck and flipping them between his index and ring fingers.

"Well...I...Missy came up to me about the necklace she asked me to fix last week."

"yes, I see" Jack replied simply, lifting a single card to the sun and giving his hand a little shake. With a little help from the glaring sunlight, Connor missed what happened between the disappearance of the Ace of Diamonds and the sudden emergence of a single red rose in Jack's hand.

"Maybe she's mad you didn't ask her her opinion on the necklace?" Jack explained, sliding the rose and deck of cards into his pockets like his amazing sleight of hand was nothing special and giving Connor another one armed hug "I mean you are her best friend and you tell her everything, she might be a little hurt you kept it from her."

"It's just a little necklace patch up" Connor whispered shyly

"But it's for Missy and we all know how much you like your friendship with her."

Connor said nothing, wondering if this was all because he didn't tell Nova he was fixing something up for Missy. Granted between the wand ceremony, the surprise wedding and Ludo's attack the previous day, he had honestly forgot all about the job. Besides what was he supposed to say? Hey Nova I'm fixing a necklace for my crush that isn't you, could you not tease me about and say how I cute I look bright red? That would be great.

"I guess I could see why she gets mad. I wish she'd just tell me instead of ignoring me all day..."

Jack didn't know what to say at the wistful tone Connor's voice took. He, as well as everyone, knew that Connor and Nova had some powerful feelings towards one another but between his lack of self-esteem and her obsessive denial of the possibility, he wasn't sure they would ever get together.

"Just talk to her after school, I'm sure it'll be fine then"

That wasn't going to stop Jack from trying though, he needed to get them together by the end of Freshman year. He had a bet to win!

"Alright, thanks Jack" Connor smiled towards Jack, caught unaware when the world became blurry and unclear as the ground beneath his feet began to shake and weave.

He narrowed his eyes in focus, trying to make out Jack's blurry face, a familiar item now sitting comfortably on Jack's nose.

Connor frowned, snatching his glasses back from Jack and throwing the magician the deepest glare he could.

Jack shrugged, chuckling nervously while giving Connor a sheepish smile "Sorry...I can't help it."

Connor shook his head, giving him a sideways grin as he casually stretched his arms, a small piece of candy tucked away in the palm of his hand. Connor looked away for a moment, not at all surprised to feel the little treat vanish from the security of his limb (Though he still wondered how Jack did it) and when he turned to face his wise guru, Jack was chewing on something happily, giving Connor a cheeky smile.

* * *

Nova stood alone against the fence of the school yard, not really in the mood to talk to anyone just yet.

She knew she was being unreasonable, that her anger was more directed at herself and not her best friend and that she should really apologize. It's not Connor's fault if Missy liked him. Missy was a pretty cool person but the idea of her and Connor...just...ugh!

"You seem rather focused on the floor" Missy's voice called to her, her natural beauty even making the raggedy gym clothes look good.

"Hey Missy" Nova greeted neutrally.

Missy raised an eyebrow. No fuming, no anger, not even jealous just a very calm response.

"Mind if I join you?"

Nova shook her head, making room for her romantic rival.

Missy leaned against the fence alongside Nova, the two girls enjoy a rather comfortable silence all things considered.

"You know...you've been avoiding Connor all day" Missy said cautiously, eying Nova's reaction carefully.

Nova sighed "I know. I just needed some time to myself."

"is it me?"

Nova shook her head and Missy believed her. Here they were sharing a normal conversation about slightly uncomfortable subject.

"Look I thought Connor would tell you about the necklace."

Nova shrugged, a spark of jealousy igniting the flame of envy "He can do what he wants..."

Nova eyes widen at a momentous epiphany. While she was jealous of Missy, she was actually hurt that Connor kept something a secret. Nova couldn't recall a time Connor kept anything from her and she was not used to him hiding something behind her back even if it was his right.

Nova let out a gentle sigh and Missy patted her shoulder comfortingly

"I'm still talking to him tomorrow morning so heads up princess." Missy chimed in with a smirk

Nova frowned and stuck her tongue out at Missy as she walked away from the magical princess with a confident stride.

"You can't talk to him if we're late" Nova answered with a mischievous grin.

* * *

Nova fiddled with the knob on her locker, trying to calm herself down long enough to properly apologize best friend, repeating the sorry over and over in her head, chanting to herself for him to hurry up and get here already, the princess having gone too long through Connor withdrawals.

Nova heard hesitating footstep, light and almost too soft to be properly heard. Connor's trademark walk whenever he wanted to give Nova some space.

The footsteps slowly approached, inching closer and closer with each passing heartbeat.

Nova took a deep breath, preparing herself to stare into her best friend's stupidly adorable face, with that nervous, worried grin that Nova just wanted to kiss off.

Nova's hearts pulsed with a pink glow, the heart in her chest racing at the mere idea of kissing Connor.

Calm yourself Novy, Nova told herself, Connor doesn't need to see you as red as a blushing bride.

Nova blushed even harder at that thought.

Nova took a deep, relaxing breath, pivoted on her heels and a little eep escaped her lips when her eyes found not Connor, her cute adorable best friend but total perfect teen Roman Greason staring at her calmly.

15 year old Roman Greason, adopted son of former bad boy and current music teacher Oskar Greason and the most amazing teenager alive. Whether it was his perfectly groomed, well kept, slicked back greaser styled black hair or his gray as an incoming storm eyes that were so hauntingly beautiful to look at. The simple black leather jacket, plain white t-shirt and jeans looking too plain on anyone else but just absolutely perfect on him.

"hey Nova" Roman greeted cheerfully, leaning against a nearby locker with such coolness that Nova was surprised it wasn't snowing.

Nova shyly waved, her voice seizing up and failing to produce any sort of sound.

"Had a good day?"

Nova nodded, cheeks flaming as she clutched her backpack in true school girl fashion.

"That's awesome." Roman smiled at her, seemingly oblivious at the effect his mere presence was causing the magical princess "Have you seen Connor? I need to ask him if his parents finished fixing up my dad's piano. He needs it for music class tomorrow."

"I..well...umm...hee" Nova laughed the most unlady laugh she had ever heard, deep, goofy and sending like she had just gone through mewberty, her voice cracking as it switched from deep to squeaky pitched.

Nova shook her head, the hearts on her cheeks morphing into hourglasses, trying to buffer her brain into action but her mental train of thought remained frozen place, the urge that god strike her down on the spot growing each passing moment.

Help, Nova pleaded with all her heart, please just send me a distraction. My dad, my brother, I'll even take my wand loss coping mother! Just somebody save me from this embarrassing nightmare!

"Oh hey Roman!" Connor's voice called loudly towards the greaser.

Roman turned around, shifting his focus from the paralyzed princes and onto Connor, the inventor waving wildly catching the gaze of everyone who spotted him.

Nova threw open her locker, shielding herself from the godly sight that was Roman and letting out a shaky breath.

Roman turned around only to find a locker door in his face.

"You okay Nova?" He asked, the concern in his voice just so sweet to Nova's ears.

"I'm fine!" Nova squeaked, coughing loudly before replying in her normal though slightly unsteady voice "I'm fine, just getting my books."

"Oh cool. Hey Connor, what's up!"

"Hey Roman" Connor smiled back, surprised when the older teen offered his hand for Connor to shake "what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"My dad was wondering if the piano was fixed up. He needs it for practice tomorrow."

"Yeah my parents finished this morning" Connor lied, praying with all his might that his parents didn't procrastinate like they usually did and actually finished the project on time "You should be able to swing around my house to pick it up."

"Awesome, I'll let my dad know!" Roman replied though he made no motion to leave.

Connor glanced past Roman to the shaking Nova, her breathing was heavy and she looked pale like she was about to pass out from too much exposure to her crush.

For a moment, Connor was tempted to let Roman remain, to let him stay he as long as he wanted and watch Nova squirm uncomfortably at the idea her crush was so close.

But he could never hurt Nova, especially like that and not using Roman. She was his best friend, fight or no, and it was his job to save her from any socially awkward situations he could.

"Sorry Roman, I need to get home" Connor told the greaser as he rudely pushed pass, putting himself between Nova and her crush, letting out a mental sigh of relief as Nova's body tremors lessened "but you can swing by later if you want."

Roman blinked in surprise before giving Connor a toothy grin "Alright, see ya later Connor, bye Novy!"

Roman left just in time to completely miss the girly squeal that escaped Nova's lips, the sudden locker shutting forcefully.

Nova held onto Connor's hands tightly, spinning the both of them around in an energetic circle, a bright wide smile numbing Connor's brain.

"He called me Novy!" Nova cheered, letting go of Connor and twirling gracefully across the hall.

Connor felt the sting of jealousy envelope him for a moment but when Nova smiled his way once more, electric blue eyes sparkling with unrestrained joy, he couldn't help but grin back.

Nova flushed at Connor's smile, brushing her hair behind her ear nervously as she slowly approached her best friend.

"Connor...I'm..."

"I know" Connor interrupted, looking ashamed and guilty "I should've told you about Missy's gift. I didn't mean to hide it from you..."

"Connor" Nova tried to cut in but Connor just kept on going.

"I was just so excited for your birthday and your big moment that...it slipped my mind. Sorry Nova."

Nova stared at him in disbelief, her heart skipping a bit at the words that escaped those stupidly tempting lips of his.

"No"

Connor looked at his best friend, unsure if he actually heard what she just said

" _I'm_ sorry" Nova went on "I'm sorry I got so mad over a stupid necklace...it's just..."

I have a huge crush on you and I'm not sure what to do about it because I really like you but I don't want to live a cliché because no one will really see us, just a couple to ship because growing up everyone just shipped us together because we looked cute together and they really didn't see if we liked each other. I mean I like you a lot Connor so I mean they were right in a way but you don't like me and now I'm rambling because I want to really tell you all this but I can't and it's driving me insane! STOP POINTING THOSE STUPID LIPS AT ME!

"You were hurt" Connor provided helpfully "I know, I don't keep things from you so you felt hurt that I did."

Nova opened her mouth, her heart whispering to her to just confess already, to take that mental rant and make it into reality, to finally let her best friend know that Roman wasn't the only person she was interested in.

"Right. Sorry four eyes...I...I didn't mean to"

Nova suppressed the squeal that threatened to crawl itself out of her throat as Connor performed the rarest hug of all, a hug Nova affectionately referred to as the Connor hug. Arms wrapped around her waist firmly, her head drawn onto his chest and the tightest squeeze Connor could muster. And the best part? Only she knew what he felt like. Not even Missy had gotten the honor of a Connor hug.

Nova sighed, letting her defenses down for a moment as she basked in the warmth of the embrace.

"I won't keep anything from you, okay Nova?" Connor whispered, pulling away and dragging Nova out of her daydream.

Nova felt flushed, pushing herself further away from her best friend's intoxicating grasp "Don't worry four eyes, you're allowed to have some secrets but next time, come to me when you work on something for Missy. You need some help trying to impress your girlfriend."

Connor's blush flared uncontrollably "Nova! She's not my girlfriend!"

And as Nova turned around, breaking into a run to meet up with her father at the car, Connor trailing behind calling her name at the top of his lungs, she couldn't help but think smugly to herself "Missy is not your girlfriend."


	4. Normalcy

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here and thanking you for every single review, favorite and follow. they make me so happy and mean everything to me.

a special thanks to finn- of course, you worked really hard on that video! and haha you should hear the one when Nova almost kissed connor.

sonicelite- they love you too and thank you for your support! i shall try and you keep up your awesome work too!

cartoonlover- Sol is cute and he knows it. he likes his candy payments up front please. awesome i did my job correctly if you hate and love missy just because she's a threat to covy. yay! Jack is more than happy to team up. just keep an eye on your things while he's around. yeah i thought a little peek into the inside of Nova's thought process would really help with the whole why don't you tell him bit.

warhusky- sorry it took a while. been a crazy few weeks. you know you want starco to kiss in public! no matter how weird it is at first. and with how much chemistry they have, i don't think you can stop them.

smitty theories. teenagers no, star yes. She was curious and she and Nova went back to the past. was...was very awkward and scary. and Sol then shifted into existence though i think he willed himself into this world. who knows. what is the recommend dosage of covy? and Glossy will here and there. still working on his personality. no the puppies haven't made an appearance but they will since Mr. and Mrs. Diaz own them and they've grown up.

shadowgem: hiya! i am glad you enjoy this story too! and i'm glad you like it. I really try to capture the whole star vs feel when writing these stories. i'm glad i'm doing apretty decent job. haha don't tell covy that, Connor would get embarrassed and Nova will glare at you. then say thanks.

anoynmims- haha that's what i said about starco. they cannot be this cute. it's illegal! and yes jack's mother is exactly who you think it is. Sol is fully expecting something big from nova and he knows he's gonna be great. He's star's son after all. haha given the recent history i revealed about star and marco, their reason to suck face is pretty good. thank you and i wish you luck with your work as well.

romantic sloth- I try to make it hard to not ship. would it be Misnor? Cossy? those...those are weird ship names. haha connor swag is always on though it is possible that's not why jack is touchy feeling with him.

imnukeyourface- thank you and that is pretty sugary. like insanely so. such doge, many memes, wants to add in story now. wow that is OP i guess i need to up the ante a bit.

Pdavis- i am glad you enjoy the story and because they want to but they don't know if they are ready for that next step i love golfalphamike's stories and the world created with that detail is pretty amazing and awe inspiring. i hope you enjoy this chapter.

krissdomm- wow, thank you! I don't think i ever got an 11/10 before. everyone loves those covy rants.

king of france- 1955? someone's been reading my notes haven't you? it depends on my mood. princess bride, scott pilgrim, kingsmen, deadpool, guardians of the galaxy, galaxy quest, robin hood men in tights. usually comedies. sorry buddy, his name is JACK!

grim- that is an excellent guess. haha here is your fix. i feel like i'm too much of an enabler. well that is one of nova's biggest issues. everyone paired them up together as children it felt like they weren't really seeing what was best for them rather just something to ship of course nova is inexperience and young so that might not be the case. but she thinks it is.

richi I have way too much fun writing star and marco as parents and finally letting them have their romantic relationship. haha nothing stops starco kisses, NOTHING! i am happy you enjoy covy so much it really fills me with pride every time you amazing readers tell me that covy is a otp. and of course, without starco there'd be no covy. i shall try.

princessgilex- thank you for the review!

MaFx- no worries, life happens and we need to take care of it. besides there's stories aren't going anywhere so you can read them at any time. yep i needed to properly intro missy and jack will be a recurring character. he's like their ferguson. haha here's hoping he wins the bet. freshman year or bust. Sol loves to torment Nova but does care about her though admittedly, the idea of the cool connor being the brother he never had is what drives sol. plus he knows nova's real feelings for connor and is pretty sure connor feels the same. right? cossy because i don't know what to kill it. sol loves bothering nova haha sol and jack are a scary combo. trust me. stay awesome!

riderZ- i think i heard the song before but i'll check out because i was wondering where that song title came from but i forgot i read it in this review. sorry. haha impressive to love a chapter you didn't read. hope you read it by this point. haha hello temi, sorry i already did the undertale au. wrong story.

dan mew- yeah you readers wanted it so i gave covy their own story. i hope you enjoy their misadventures.

ragnaroll- hiya! nice to meet you! and i am glad you enjoy my work. i am playing with that idea though i am not sure if i will use it or not. you know i want this story to be its own thing but at the same time it would be a fun call back. thank you for bringing it up and honestly i will probably come up with connor's own supernatural power by a spell. enjoy the chapter.

sorry i took so long. life you know? here is the next chapter of nova vs. this is really just a look into the average day of covy in Echo creek academy but i hope you enjoy it all the same. Also Jack's mother makes her debut. still debating whose the dad though. got ideas but. not sure what to do with them yet. anyway have fun with the story, i own covy and jack and some other random things in this series and happy reading! have an awesome week, all of you!

* * *

The heat from the morning sun felt warm and gentle, giving the town a sleepy, lazy feeling that made everyone just want to stay in for the day

"NOVA, HURRY UP!"

Too bad it was still a school day and Nova found herself and Connor running at top speed through the streets of their beloved hometown in wild hopes that they would not be late for first period.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Nova shouted back, wondering when exactly did Connor become faster than her. Seriously, this was Connor! Just the month before he could barely finish a mile in 15 minutes and now he was sprinting ahead of her without any signs of slowing down? And worst of all, preventing Nova from seeing his forest green eyes as she stuck her tongue out at him mockingly when he fell behind.

"Ugh, we're going to be late!" Connor yelled, unable to keep the panic out of his voice. He's never been late before, never! True he wasn't a stick in the mud like Nova routinely teased but even he didn't want to be late. He often only saw Missy in the morning before school started due varying factors, none of which Connor wanted to get into or admit revolved around time spent with his best friend.

"And whose fault is that?" Nova replied with a deadpan tone, knowing full well that it was her fault but not willing to acknowledge in case Connor figured out she was purposely trying to prevent Missy from achieving her goal of talking to Connor that morning.

"Yours Novy! Yours" Connor glared as the school slowly began coming into view "Why did you tell your dad we didn't need a ride?!"

Nova shrugged, finally having caught up to the steadily slowing boy "I thought it be fun if we walked to school. You know, nice change of pace."

"Nova!" Connor whined, his lungs threatening to burst from the sudden increased physical activity the young inventor was performing "You showed up at 7:40! the school is like a mile away! We'd never make it walking!"

"Correction, _you'd_ never make it walking four eyes" Nova countered, motioning to Connor's weakening stride "Seriously, you need to get out more. You are too out of shape."

"I was beating you for most of the run."

"Weeeeell." Nova replied sheepishly before racing ahead of Connor "you aren't now."

"N-nova!" Connor wheezed, wondering if his parents were serious about turning him into a cyborg if he ever died. Given how shaky his breathing was becoming, that might be far sooner than any of them had anticipated "Ca...can't you use...use the wand o...or something to freeze time? Just till we got to...oh lord...oh...tha...that's..."

Nova looked back thoughtfully, trying not to chuckle at the sight of Connor gasping for air, hunched over, hands on his thighs as he tried to recover so much needed oxygen.

"Psst" Nova scoffed, waving off her best friend's request "Like there's a time freezing spell. Well...there was but Mom told me herself it's been lost for ages since someone tore out the page. Besides, it's probably super complex. There is no way it could be as easy saying...I dunno, Easy Peasy Time Freeze?"

Nova was unable to control her giggles as she waved happily to a flock of birds over head, both time and the world marching forward unimpeded to prove the young princess's point.

"Ha, ha, ha" Connor rolled his eyes sarcastically, finally able to rise to full height and stretch out his sore muscles "But seriously, why didn't you create a ride for us or something?"

Nova stared blankly at Connor, the realization that she could've created something to carry both her and Connor to the school and thus negating the need to wake up at 7 to leave the house 15 minutes later to ensure she reached Connor's house precisely at 7:40.

"You...forgot about the wand...didn't you?"

Nova flushed uncontrollably, her pink hearts glowing with a soft hue in embarrassment "I-I did not!"

Connor snickered "You totally did."

"Did not!"

"Did so"

"Did not four eyes!"

"Did so Novy."

"Ugh" Nova yelled, rubbing her forehead to ease the building headache trapped in her skull "Can we just get to school? The bell just rang and we still need to get to our lockers."

"Umm...Nova?" Connor slowly pointed behind her back.

Nova turned around only to discover that the pair were only a few feet from the main entrance of the school, the gate wide open as the sea of students began to part as the school day began.

"Oh...when did _that_ happen?" Nova pondered with a hint of confusion.

"Gee, you really are dense aren't you Nova?" Connor teased, shooting Nova a cocky grin as he made his way past her and towards their lockers.

Nova could feel her heart skip a bit, her hearts turning an even brighter pink while she quickly trailed after her best friend.

Nova gave a sly smile towards Missy who had been waiting patiently for the duo's arrival for several minutes. Missy frowned, a mixture of annoyance and respect shining in her pale blue eyes as Nova beamed triumphantly at her victory.

"Sorry Missy, better luck next time" Nova mouthed towards her romantic rival.

Missy's face was not one of defeat but rather confidence as she mouthed in return "There's always after school."

and with that threat, Missy disappeared into the swirling cloud of multicolored students before Nova could react.

Nova's face became blank once more upon soaking in Missy's words, the self assured victory draining away from her as she began formulating a plan to get Connor out of the school grounds as reasonably possible without drawing too much suspicion.

A sharp whistle drew Nova out her thoughts and when she turned to the source, she was greeted with a relaxed Connor motioning to her now opened locker with a wave of his hand.

"C'mon, we're going to be late Nova." Connor told her softly, his school books already hugged carefully in his hand.

"Oh right...T-thanks Connor" Nova muttered quietly, rushing forward to retrieve her books and avoid Connor's gaze. Leave it to four eyes to do something sweet when she wasn't looking. He could really be very thoughtful. Well...he always was but still...

Nova closed her locker hurriedly, the pair of best friends prepared to make a mad dash towards band when suddenly a shout caught everyone's attention.

"JANNA! GIVE THAT BACK!"

"Make me Marco"

Nova and Connor looked at one another, wondering if it was the same Janna they were thinking about.

"Janna? like the super famous fashion designer Janna?" Connor questioned, taking a step closer to the approaching yells and mocking tones coming from the hallway.

"Yeah, she's..." Nova began but a figure darted into view

It was indeed _that_ Janna, Marco's former classmate and current world renown fashion designer, her medium length blue hair well kept as it always had been without the beanie she wore in her youth, her summery white blouse and dark bluish green skirt way too short for a mother to be wearing. It was like knee length! with black leggings and plain yet very stylish mary janes.

Nova noted Janna held tightly onto a set of keys as she made her pass, Marco sliding into quad a moment later and was obviously chasing down the rouge Janna with a reckless abandon not seen since his youth.

"JANNA!" Marco screamed in a furious rage, Janna's playful smile simply flaming the flames of his anger further "GIVE ME BACK MY KEYS!"

Janna stuck her tongue out at Marco, focusing on trying to outrun him as much as she could.

"MOM! Mom, come on stop it! This is going to be your third warning!" A younger voice called out, trailing behind Marco by a few seconds.

The well dressed, vest loving, bow tie wearing Jack huffed into view, weakly trying to catch his breath as the two 'adults' disappeared from visible sight.

"Morning Jack" Nova and Connor greeted in unison to the teenager magician

"Novy" Jack replied, pinching Nova's cheek in a rascally manner, earning a glare from the princess "Connor" Connor shook his head at the sight of Jack bowing to him, noticing his pocket was lighter now that a certain gooey treat was missing.

"Jaaaaaack" Connor warned but Jack let out a nonchalant whistle, unwilling to admit he had done anything wrong.

"Cooooonor" Jack replied cheekily, taking a large bite of the candy bar that once resided with Connor.

Connor lunged towards Jack but Jack quickly slid his arm around Nova's waist, ignoring Nova's sudden yelp of surprise as he twirled the young girl, catching Connor off guard with a blinding blur of colors that forced him to close his eyes.

When Connor reopened his eyeballs, he found himself holding Nova bridal style, her stare of confusion cluing him in that she too had no idea what just occurred.

Connor glanced around hoping to find any sign of Jack but other than his discarded candy wrapper carelessly thrown nearby, the magician had disappeared.

"You should relax four eyes" Nova teased with a wink, making no effort to untangle herself from Connor's arms, trying to keep her heart from bursting with pure joy "He's just playing."

Connor said nothing, knowing full well how well Jack played both Nova and Connor. He fell for Jack's trap hook, line and sinker.

Connor could feel his throat dry up as Nova peered in closer, her electric blue eyes focusing on his face with concern, a rare gesture that Connor could never resist. He knew he had to come up with something soon or Nova's concern would become into full worry.

Connor let out a dramatic sigh "Ugh, I know but I just really wanted that candy bar as a snack."

Nova decided that her exposure to Connor was now reaching lovey dovey levels of sap and it was time to put distance between the two before she decided to snuggle up to him.

"Don't worry four eyes" Nova stated matter of factly, gently patting her best friend's chest before leaping out of his arms, already missing his touch but trying to ignore that to ensure she didn't jump right back. "My dad made some pie yesterday, I'll share it with you."

Nova smiled brightly at Connor but he didn't really respond as he pointed carefully at Nova's open zipper on her backpack.

A sense of dread overcame Nova as she slowly reached within only to find that Jack hadn't just swiped Connor's candy bar.

"Nova" Connor said slowly, backing away from the suddenly quiet princess "It was just a prank, he's just playing...He..."

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM" Nova screamed into the air, clutching the wand tightly, letting out a low growl that sounded unrealistic to Connor's ears.

"Nova" Connor warned, in hopes to claim her down "We're still late to class, we can't just..."

"JANNA, I AM NOT KIDDING!" Marco's bull-like roar cut through the near silence of the empty school campus, Janna's playful mocking smile now panicked and worried as she struggled to keep ahead of the furious Marco, Jack not too far behind from both adults.

"JACK!" Nova snarled, carefully pushing Connor out of her way while focusing solely on the well dressed Jack.

Jack paused only for a moment, staring in Nova and Connor's direction and letting out a cheery chuckle before racing off with Nova giving chase not long after.

Connor laugh nervously as he debated if it was really worth stopping father and daughter as the pair of Diaz's began chasing down Janna and Jack, righteous anger overflowing, with the random shouts of "YOU ATE MY PIE YOU CARD DEALING, BOW TIE WEARING KLEPTO JERK!" and "THOSE ARE MY KEYS JANNA! DON'T MAKE ME GET STAR!" filling the air.

* * *

 _1st period_

Nova and Connor said nothing as Mr. Greason gave them a questioning look, opting to hold out his hand for their late slips rather than inquiry why Nova was pouting and Connor was barely containing some sort of teasing humor.

"Let's not do this again okay kids? Being late is unbecoming of both of you." Mr. Greason softly chastised them "Please take your seat and let's learn some music theory."

"Yes Mr. Greason"

"Right Mr. Greason."

Nova and Connor dutifully took their customary seats next to each other, trying not to get overwhelmed about the day's lesson on transposing and how C was a natural key, thus possessing no sharps or flats in its scale.

Connor wrote notes in hopes that the information would appear later if not in the moment given how he had no idea what Mr. Greason was talking about.

Nova decided that if she stared hard enough at the whiteboard, she'd either get the answers or time would speed up. Neither result was achieved.

* * *

 _2nd period_

The class room noticed that Mr. Diaz was visibly keyed up. The low mumbling, the gritting of his teeth, the angrily drumming of his fingers on his desk as the class quietly scribbled their responses to the day's question: How does morality affect the protagonist of the story?

"I know my dad is angry" Nova casually said outloud while carefully doodling a dolphin on her now finished paper "But this is seriously too easy of a question for him. Morality affects the protagonist because all protagonists are good and thus have a clear understanding of the evil on they encounter on their journey."

"umm...that's not how this works Novy" Connor replied "Protagonists aren't actually good by default. In fact, protagonist doesn't actually mean a good person at all. Protagonists are actually the person or persons whose fate, drive and goal directly affects and pushes the story forward. Antagonists are just the forces impeding the protagonist's goal rather than being the bad guys. True while protagonist are some form of hero or person with idealistic morals at the beginning of the story, the morality of the protagonist themselves would affect how they act during their adventure and how we perceive them. Imagine how the entire classic Harry Potter series would be if it was told through Voldemort's perspective. Even though he is the protagonist of the story, could we really root for him to win given that he is actually a power hungry, nihilistic racist?"

"Ugh" Nova whined, clutching her head tightly "Stop over complicating this Connor. You are putting way too much thought into this. Just say protagonist are good guys and bask in the glory of being simple, to the point and more importantly right."

"Yeah no. Sorry Novy but I think I'm going to stick with my answer."

Nova shrugged in disinterest "Suit yourself Mr. Overthinking."

* * *

 _3rd period_

Connor and Nova stared dully at the board, trying to absorb as much information as they could from Skullnick's aggressive teaching but all the pair could retain from her lesson was "Numbers, numbers, numbers, numbers, mathematical statement, something that won't be on the test, something unnecessary about a nice minotaur she met during one of her weekly raid parties, numbers, empty threat, rant, tantrum."

* * *

 _4th period_

"EVERYONE" Doc Brown tried to call over the fearfully and terrified screams of his students "DON'T PANIC! DON'T FREAK OUT AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T TELL YOUR PARENTS!"

the students heard nothing except the impossibly loud crackling of the flames hungrily consuming everything in sight while basking the classroom in an insufferable heat wave as Connor ran back and forth from the sink with a large bucket, trying to put out the fire before it reached the various unstable and highly flammable chemicals in the room.

"Someone grab the fire extinguisher!" cried Penny, the blonde hair, gray eyed arts and crafts lover who began waving her makeshift fan (composed of string, paper and super glue) at the raging inferno.

"We can't, the fire extinguisher is on fire!" Roland pointed out, his black hair caked with ash and grime while his brown eyes were wide with horror and amazement tah such a thing could happen

"Nova!" Connor yelped as the flames began to heat up the metal bucket in his hands "A little help!"

"J-just a minute!" Nova answered from her little niche under the chemistry table before tugging at her long brown hair "Glossaryck, help me!"

the blue magical index being lazily flipped through the pages, smacking his lips with boredom as the flames grew larger and larger.

"Yeeeah, I'm not sure what I can do to help princess" Glossaryck told Nova unhelpfully "I mean you can't just pick a random water spell and expect it to work just like magic."

"Glossaryck, I am a magical princess with a magic wand. I THINK I CAN DO SOME FREAKING MAGIC. JUST GIVE ME A SPELL ALREADY!"

"I don't know. Can I at least have a pudding? Us indexes need our daily dosage helping of yum to function you know."

"Seriously?! You want pudding now?! THERE'S A FIRE GOING ON!"

"So is that a yes on the pudding?"

Nova glared deeply at Glossaryck, eye twitching with a killer intent.

"Fine" Glossaryck sighed in defeat "How about this one?"

Nova didn't even bother to read the description of the spell as she chanted "Bubbly, bubbly Fishy Flushy!"

the words had just escaped Nova's mouth but before she could take in what she said, the wand released a torrent rush of water and little tiny rainbow colored goldfish that crashed into Nova causing her to lose her grip on the wand and skid across the chemistry tile floor.

* * *

Skeeves was happily humming to himself, glad that the school finally settled down after Mr. Diaz and his daughter were found threatening Jack and his mother among some other rather disruptive events such as that giant minotaur Emmett unable to understand that no he could not see Miss Skullnick while school was in session or the tiny imp creature Ludo attempted to convince that proctors that he and his little propeller hat were students in Echo Creek Academy. Everyone knew the only monster who attended the school was Viktor bulwhatitsname.

Skeeves was ready to head to back to his office when the splashing sounds and wet feeling in his socks stopped in his tracks.

He looked downward to notice a small stream of water pouring out from under a nearby door.

Skeeves slowly turned his head to the side and was greeted with a classroom aquarium of students and Doctor Brown swimming around surrounded by crystal clear water and several small rainbow colored goldfish with Connor and Nova frantically moving about this way and that searching for something.

"Yeeeah." Skeeves said, his face locked in indifference "I'm not reporting this..."

and with that mighty sense of educational duty, Skeeves went on his merry way.

* * *

 _5th period_

"And that class is how America was founded." Miss Rey with her long brown locks and doleful brown eyes cheerfully told the students, wondering what was up with their dejected and bored faces "Any questions?"

Silence was their response.

"Nooo questions at all?" Miss Rey asked nervously.

Not a single answer.

"Like anything at all? Anything?!"

Nothing.

"Why aren't you students caring?!" Miss Rey shrieked, unable to take much more of this strange treatment.

Connor rose his hand up to spare the sub more merciless torture.

"Ah, yes Connor!" Miss Rey called on him too cheerfully.

"Sorry Miss Rey but this is pointless." Miss Rey opened her mouth to response but Connor politely went on "Mrs. Moon will be back soon and she'll end up quizzing us on the 2nd Mewnian civil war between the Fireflies and Butterflies. So...we...yeah..."

"Oh..." was Miss Rey's response "...umm...study break. Everyone just...do whatever."

Nova shifted guiltily at the sight of Miss Rey sitting in her chair who was just staring off into space. She still wondered how her grandmother managed to secure a job working at Echo Creek and more importantly, why.

* * *

 _6th period_

"C'mon Connie, onwards!" Jack shouted loudly, pointing forward as Connor wheezed and huffed, struggling with carrying Jack's weight on his shoulders.

"W-why...are...we...doing this?!" Connor coughed out, trying not to let the lack of air or the strain of Jack get the best of him.

"Because" Jack answered cheerfully "Our coach is an overcompensating short man with a Napoleon complex and anger issues!"

"But it's 10 minutes till the end of class!" Connor shot back "Why the hell am I carrying you?"

Jack glanced backwards, Nova's fearsome snarl bringing a chill down his spine as she quickly approached, the combined strength of the girl's P.E class failing to slow the magical princess even a little bit.

"Because" Jack told Connor "I think you need to work out more if you're going to hold your blushing bride Nova in your arms."

"J-Jack!"

"Oh shut up and run, we'll make you buff in no time!" Jack gently patted Connor's cheek playfully "Now high ho sliver!"

"What did you call me?!"

* * *

 _After school_

Connor wasn't sure what was going on but he was now caught in the middle of the turf war with himself being the turf.

"So Connor, I was wondering if you could help with this little project I was working on this weekend" Missy gave him a wide smile causing his heart to skip a beat.

"Hey four eyes" Nova's voice called, drawing his attention away from Missy "You promised to take me to the movies this weekend. You didn't forget, did you?"

Connor opened his mouth to respond when Missy cut in "Oh, that sounds like fun! Why don't the three of us go together?"

"Well..." Connor managed to get out but Nova was already putting her two cents in "Hey, great idea! I'll ask Jack to come along and maybe Sol. Could be a fun outing."

"Ooooh that does sound like fun! Count me in." Missy cooed.

Connor decided to focus on opening his locker door, thrusting his head as far as he could in the little tiny space once it had opened.

Nova and Missy stared at one another, admiration and competitiveness dancing in their eyes. Pale met electric blue as Nova smugly smiled towards Missy who retaliated by sticking out her tongue.

Connor closed his locker door and turned to face the two girls when Missy tackled him out of nowhere, wrapping her arms around him tightly while giving his whole body a squeeze.

"M-Missy?" Connor squeaked, his cheeks turning as red as the fire that tried to consume him earlier.

"I just wanted to thank you for the necklace" Missy told him, not so subtly wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing in his green eyes to her face.

"I...I..you..welcome..it...cool..." Connor mumbled, nervously scratching the back of his head as he tried to compose himself.

"C'mon Connie" Connor let out a cry of pain as Nova gripped his ear. Not hard enough to hurt but firm enough to pull him away from Missy's embrace.

Once the pair were far enough away, Nova released her hold on Connor's listening hole.

"Oww" Connor rubbed his aching ear "What was that for?"

"Shamelessly flirting with Missy in public" Nova crossed her arms in disappointment "Have you no shame?"

"I-I..she..I..didn't...hug...her...umm..."

"You Mister" Nova walked up to him, pointing his chest for added effect "Need to learn to be more subtle."

"I...she HUGGED ME!"

Nova scoffed "Right four eyes, I don't believe you and since I don't believe you, you're buying me popcorn when we go to the movies."

"But I...she..."

"Should I add a soda?" Nova threatened.

Connor hung his head in defeat "No..."

"Good, now c'mon you need to help me with music. I have no idea what the hell a C scale is and I'm guessing I'm going to have to find out soon."

Nova felt her cheeks flush with a pink glow as Connor wrapped his arm around her neck, drawing her in close as the pair made their way towards Marco's car.

"Whatever you wish princess."


	5. So Connie, Nova and Sol stay home

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, i hope you are all doing good. had good luck with school and life in general. thank you for every single review, favorite and follow. they really mean the world to me especially with this series.

a special thank you to sonicelite- haha well you are supposed to love them and i'm glad you enjoyed the filler chapter. i've never really been good with them so i'm working on that. i think everyone's just sleeping or busy or praying for a promo. you are very welcome. i will keep breaking the silence. yep a doc brown in a SVTFOE story though admittedly he started off as a nod to something i love, connor and Doc might be working with each other very soon. I work hard to make my character's develop and dialogue is my specialty and i actually talk like this in real life. i am very much connor, witty and snarky. i hope you enjoy this chapter have an awesome work bro!

warhuskey- i did update and here is a fresh new chapter, right off the press. they basically live off of flirting and yes that totally happened. it's a butterfly thing. haha the days are just getting weirder my friend and yep and connor has no idea what to do. i hope you enjoy this next chapter.

finn- thank you! i shall try

PDavis32- don't be jelly, these characters love you and i always try to make my characters, even one shot ocs, with as much depth and humanity as possible. it takes some practice but i know you can do it too! :) sorry i really don't mean too but sometimes life likes to pin me down and scream "DEAL WITH ME!"

Bigmike; hi! good to hear from you, hope you're doing good. haha that's a pretty awesome idea and i will use it. well thought out and everything. might tweak some things but overall a great idea. i'll write a note to remind myself to give you credit.

guest sorta- you are the first person that wants missy destroyed haha well i guess we'll see huh?

princessxgilex- thank you for the review and i hope you enjoy this chapter.

anoynmins- haha jack loves you too and offers you a rose for your support. Janna taught most of what jack knows. and jack with missy huh? i never thought of that before. how is it a problem? haha yeah a lot of background went into this story even though at first i'd never thought i'd actually use any of it and i wanted nova to be very much starco's daughter yet her own person since some of our traits are picked up from our parents. haha i am very obvious about things i love and this is my story and i want to give nods to things i love (Doc brown might have a project with Connor soon). haha yeah marco and moon at the school makes life a bit stressful *Especially moon* and star needs her daily dosage of marco. haha i think that's what makes them so cute. they both like each other but don't realize how much of that attraction and want forms their entire relationship. remains me of starco now that i stop and think of it.

godlegend- haha actually two someones are jealous (missy nova) haha i am so glad you liked it and hope you enjoy the next chapter.

cartoonlover- yep doc brown is here and maybe marty might show up. haha Jack is really stealing the show which yeah i guess he should since i designed him that way. i just didn't think he'd actually do it

grim- haha i am glad you agree :) haha well like mother like son and Jack's dad is more...calm than janna despite his upbringing.

heroaedrianmontilla- i am old...ooooold haha I am 25 years old and just like writing. I am really glad you enjoyed this and my if i say i miss you. it was so much fun and very heartbreaking but it came out better than i hoped. i mean it was supposed to be 8 chapters long but you readers kept wanting more so i couldn't help but give you more for all the wonderful support i have received. thank you and everyone else for that. it means more than i can ever truly express.

CLM88 haha yeah this isn't going anywhere and you have a lot more stories to cover but i am glad you enjoyed this little preview into nova and the future. come back soon.

So here we go a new chapter but before that, my good friend Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr has not only given me some more awesome covy artwork but some cute starco, wildhopps and even some adorable animation i recommend you check out.

Now this chapter takes place over the weekend during the first week Nova has received her wand. **this means star's writing** _this means marco's._

so the next on the list for this story is either going to be Connor's side of the day (he isn't physically here but no worries there is still heavy covy and he does briefly explain what happened on his side of the day) or Uncle Ferguson visits. let me know which you would like to see first.

so thank you for all the support, the reviews, favorites and follows. you readers are the best and you make writing for you a pleasure and a joy. thank you so much. please enjoy this chapter and i own only some things in this story!

* * *

"You're irritating" Nova huffed, eyes narrowing with annoyance, the dull forest green eyes staring blankly her way as if he did nothing wrong.

"Seriously, do you _know_ how annoying you are? How confusing? With those cute eyes and that stupid 'what did I do?' look you always give me...you know what you did."

There was no response.

"And of course you have to be alllll amazing." Nova waved her hands for maximum mocking effect "Hey Novy let me get your locker door, let me dress all nice for your wand ceremony, hey let me snort in the most endearing way during that joke you told me"

Nova let out a defeated sigh, absentmindedly taking a few strains of her hair into her hand and twisting them nervously.

"Look...I...I know...that..." Nova mumbled softly "You really...umm are _fond_ of Missy and you know she's awesome at all that jazz...but...hey" Nova shrugged nonchalantly "Maybe you know...maybe...UGH! WHAT AM I DOING?!"

Nova shoved him off the bed violently, growling and muttering while trying to rip her long light brown hair off her skull.

His forest green eyes behind his signature glasses peered at her with the same blank expression he held throughout the entire exchange, his little grin unwavering as Nova cast a nervous glance his way.

"Oh stupid Connie" Nova whispered in the abnormally quiet household "You and your stupid stupidness. Stupid, stupid, stupid"

Nova let out a defeated sigh as she picked off Connie off the floor, holding him gently in her palms as she lay back upon her bed once more.

Nova frowned at the sight of the hand sized plushie she lifted into the air, a miniature version of her best friend staring back at her while she made him clap his hands together excitedly.

"I cannot believe you're as annoying as your real life counterpart Connie" Nova glared at the plush "Seriously even in plush form, you are still just so bothersome! Ugh good thing Connor thinks I threw you away...might get the wrong idea if he realized I kept you after all this time."

Nova closed her eyes, embracing Connie tightly in her arms, basking in the gentle glow of the rising morning sun.

"Actually, I think if anyone knew you still existed Connie, I'd never hear the end of it. Oh how cuuuuute Nova still has the little plush she asked mommy to make for her when she was ten."

Nova dangled Connie gingerly by one arm, her gaze thoughtful yet conflicted.

"Why do I even still have you? It's a little embarrassing for someone my age to have plushies isn't it? I should really just give you away or something...but then again...if Missy somehow found you..."

Nova let out a frustrated moan, face palming herself upon realizing that she was indeed thinking of little Connie the same way she thought of big Connie.

She shot an irritated glare at the little plush "...You _both_ are annoying... I..."

Nova let out a surprised shriek when her phone blasted Tank! From out of nowhere, shattering the silence and startling the young princes into tossing the doll high into the air.

"Ah!" Nova jumped as the plush fell to the floor "Connie!"

With a mighty lunge, Nova pushed forward with all her might, hands outstretched as she desperately tried to catch her wayward object of affection.

"YES!" She cheered when Connie fell perfectly into her hands, taking a moment to sit up and soak in her victory before realizing her knees were hovering over empty air and her body was rocking back and forth against her will. Too late did she understand that in her rush to save Connie, she accidentally caused herself to teeter over the edge of her bed dangerously.

Nova flailed her arms wildly, trying to regain her balance but gravity took hold of her as her phone provided the background to the fall. the young magical princess crashed to the floor with a loud thud that rocked the house ever so slightly.

Nova puffed the hair out of her face, her face unamused by the turn of events. She looked towards Connie before murmuring a threat "Not a word..." and with the usual grace she possessed, lifted herself off the wooden floor before making her way back to her probably fully charged phone on the night stand.

Nova carefully unplugged the phone, thumb pressed over the blank screen and trying to suppress the smile that danced on her face when she saw Connor's name scrawled across the text message icon.

She quickly punched in the unlock code, making extra sure to keep her loose grip on Connie firmer now that she held another item in her grip

Nova could feel her hearts glow with a faint hue, the message "Morning Princess" causing her heart to skip a beat or 3.

She knew he was just greeting her in the same way he always did but she could easily picture his face, the lazy, laidback drawl of his voice as he casually waves to her while they make their way back to Marco's car.

She stopped the moment the romantic train began to leave the station, snapping herself out of her loving stupor and quickly scrambling to find any and all excuses to lock up the rebellious thoughts.

"7:30?" Nova scoffed at the time stamp "Who the heck is up at 7:30 on a Saturday?"

Nova paused, suspiciously glancing towards the dangling Connie who seemed to be smugly smirking her way.

"Shut up you."

Nova anxiously began to reply to Connor's message before wondering if that was a good idea. Nova generally slept in on Saturday's (unless her exposure to Connor during the week had been a heavy dosage.) so evidently Connor wasn't expecting a message any time soon. He had always been an early riser and far better in handling the groggy mornings with more grace and humor than herself and she didn't want to appear too eager about his greeting. No...no cool, calm and distant was the way to go.

Although...she _was_ up...and it was such a rare thing for her on the weekends...and even at a distance and parted, her conversations with Connor were always engaging and too much fun to pass up. Maybe it was a good idea to answer.

But what about her runaway thoughts? they might get a little too excited...

But at the same time maybe Connor would be eager to share his newest project with her...

but...

Nova let out angry roar, tossing her phone and wincing as it bounced off the springy mattress and sailed across the room.

"Oh crap...I guess I got my answer."

Nova decided it was best to leave her phone where it lay and join her family downstairs, so with bare feet and her blue sleep dress, she exited into the hallway only to run into Rocky at once, the normally bare raccoon now wearing a sporty pirate hat and eye patch, barely looking at Nova as she scurried away towards the kitchen.

Nova felt off. Something strange was going on but she couldn't figure out what. Not yet.

Nova decided to investigate the house further before jumping to any conclusions. That was the most logical thing to do. Besides she had no idea what else to do.

As she made her way downstairs, she couldn't help but glance at the family portrait that hung on the wall about half way down the staircase.

It wasn't a terribly large picture, roughly the height of Sol and much wider. Star and Marco wanted a smaller, more low key photo for the family but Moon disagreed stating that a royal family portrait was very important for appearances. They decided to compromise as Moon's idea of a modest, tiny portrait was something roughly the size of their entire wall.

Nova frowned at the sight of the Diaz-Butterfly family within the large frame. Marco with his slicked back hair and well pressed tuxedo, Sol wearing a black vest, white collared shirt combo with hair also gelled back like his father's, Star and Nova wearing similar but different colored dresses (Her mother's a bright pink and her own being a baby blue) with her mother's hair braided down one side while Nova's hair was tied up into two pigtails. Their smiles wide and their posture perfect, truly an image befitting the royal family of Mewni (Per Moon's request)

Nova rolled her eyes, gently reaching for the bottom right corner of the frame, pressing down on the knob hidden within before muttering to herself "Someone forgot to change it again...ugh I hate when they do that."

The portrait rippled as if it was composed of water, shaking while the photo shifted and morphed under fierce waves. When the ripples ceased a moment later, Nova allowed her smile to beam brightly at the natural, more accurate poses of her family.

Star looped her arm around Marco's neck, drawing her husband closer while planting a loving kiss on his cheek with Marco and his regular hair spikes flashing a wink and peace sign towards the camera with the biggest grin on his face, the kind only his wife could draw out of him.

Nova's joyful smirk was one of triumph as she held her hands up towards the ceiling, a freefalling Sol giving the cameraman a thumbs up and charming smile as he fell out of frame.

"That'll teach him to randomly jump into my arms" Nova nodded in approval in regards to her past self actions before making her way into the surprisingly barren kitchen.

"Mom?" Nova called out, wondering if her energetic mother was still trying to randomly attack her to test her 'reflexes' with her wandwork "Dad? Where are you guys? Yo...you're not making out in the closet again...pleeeease don't be making out in the closet again..."

No response came but before Nova could call out once more, a brightly colored and hectically written note taped to the fridge caught her eye. She pulled off the adhesive, staring in confusion and wonder at the immensely chaotic writing upon the sheet, the words and different inks giving Nova the feeling she was trying to read some sort of treasure map. Nova shook her head and began to read what her parents had wrote for her, trying her best to ignore the trail of glitter raining from the paper.

 _Dear Nova_ The note read, clearly her father's crisp handwriting addressing her before quickly being cut off by Star's more...wild style.

 **What are we writing Marco? OOOOOH is it a note for Novy? Morning NOVA! HIIIIIII MOMMY SAYS HI!**

 _Star! I'm trying to write a note._

 **And I'm saying hello to our daughter. Do you not want me to say hello to our daughter?**

 _That's not what I mean and you know it. Star, we're in a rush and we really need to write this note._

 **And we are writing this note. See Marco, you worry too much.**

 _I forgot what I was going to...wait...are we really writing down this entire conversation on this paper?_

 **Evidently so my dear husband.**

Nova massaged her aching head, taking a deep breath as she read the second, more focused part of the letter.

 _Nova, your mother and I will be gone for a few hours. 2 or 3 at the most. Hopefully. Your mother's driver's test is today. While we're gone, you will be babysitting Sol. Make sure he eats breakfast and doesn't lay around._

 **I left some food in the fridge (by which I mean your dad left some food in the fridge) and I told Rocky to make sure the house is still standing. No killing Sol and remember to keep a close eye on him because you know...he's Sol. Talk to you later! See you soon! LOVE YOU! MUAH MUAH MUAH! Bye, byyyyyyyye! Buh Bye!**

 _Haha see you soon Nova, love dad._

 **And mom!**

Nova stifled a chuckle at her parents antics. They were so weird but they were her weird. And adorable too.

Nova's thoughts momentarily drifted to Connor, her heart beating wildly at the sudden intrusion her best friend had upon her thoughts.

She coughed loudly, clearing her throat while struggling to will the rouge thoughts away, her attention shifting to the task at hand: babysitting Sol.

Nova felt an odd chill run down her spine, the warm sunny air becoming cold and distant as she looped the words in her head over and over and over again.

Babysit Sol, Babysit Sol, Babysit Sol.

The words "oh no" barely tumbled out of Nova's lips when a loud battle cry pierced the silence of the house, the scampering of paws echoing loudly throughout the empty halls.

And, without warning, Rocky came racing down the stairway on all fours, her previously calm gaze replaced with a mixture of disdain and apathy as Sol bellowed out another fierce war cry that was slightly muffled by the half eaten waffle dangling from his mouth, extending his hastily constructed sword made out of duct tape and cardboard, a bandana wrapped around his head with his pjs replaced by a red and white striped shirt and shorts.

"SOL!" Nova cried, reaching to snatch her brother off the creature's back but Sol had other plans, diving off the raccoon's back and batting Nova's outstretched hand away with his sword as he slid pass.

Rocky screeched to a halt, digging her nails deeply into the kitchen tile floor and causing a loud, ear bleeding shriek to fill the room. Nova and Sol clutched at their ears painfully as Rocky shook off her pirate outfit, rose onto her hind legs and walked off to the living room, presumably to watch some television.

Nova and Sol let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Rocky hadn't decided to punish them. Rocky's fury knew no bounds and both had seen it first hand.

The siblings shared a happy look with one another before Nova's face fell into one of anger and Sol's into playful mischief.

Nova leapt at her little brother but Sol had already taken off, sliding underneath the dining table before tucking into a roll, shifting his body upwards and lifting himself onto his feet, sword firmly in one hand and waffle in the other.

Nova crawled after him, struggling to match his grace and athleticism. She was no slouch in the physical activity department but those parkour lessons really gave Sol an edge over his older sister.

Sol bolted up the stairs, bouncing off the railing and walls instead of the steps like they were some sort of makeshift pathway to the second floor.

Nova struggled to keep up with her little brother, barely managing to spot him duck inside his own room once she closed the gap between the two.

"So stop running around!" Nova chastised, trying to stop her wheezing from spilling over into her firm voice "And stop running so fast! You just ate! You're going to upset your stomach!"

"NAH UH!" Sol called back, the sounds of rapid chewing clearly coming from the young boy's mouth.

"Don't eat so fast!" Nova shrieked, bursting into her little brother's room only to find nothing. Marco's room had been relatively unchanged when it was given to Sol and since the youngest Diaz-Butterfly wasn't sure how to decorate it yet, he left it as is.

Nova's eyes focused, looking for any sign of the little brat when she noticed the slight swaying of one of Sol's more fancy dress shirts from within the maws of the messy pile of clothes that rested comfortably inside the closet.

Nova grinned to herself as she tiptoed quietly towards closet, making sure to cover the only exit before trying to flush out Sol.

"Sooooool" Nova called out in a sing songy voice "Come out and plaaaaay! Soooooool come out and plaaaaaAAAaaay NOW!"

Nova viciously ripped away the pile of clothes, tossing them into the open air behind her and scattering them all across the four corners of Sol's room until nothing but an empty space remain.

Nova was confused until she heard snickering coming from the doorway, Sol leaning causally against the door, wagging his sword in disappointment towards her.

"Wow Novy, are you okay? Seem to be losing it. Oh! Is Connor coming? Is that why you're all dazed and silly? Gonna see your boooooyfriend!"

Nova flushed, now whether from anger or embarrassment she wasn't quite sure but in either case she _was_ sure of one thing: She was going to kill him.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Nova yelled, trying to cool her flaming cheeks "Stop saying that! You're going to give him the wrong idea!"

"The right idea you mean"

Nova's rage stopped at once, the rebellious thoughts latching onto Sol's words with a hopeless fervor. that maybe letting Sol boast loudly about how Nova wanted to date Connor _was_ a pretty good idea. Maybe that it could plant the idea in his head and he could finally see her more than just his best friend...maybe he could finally see her as a...

"Whoooa, stop it!" Nova said outloud, more to herself than Sol "That is not a good idea Nov...er Sol. I don't want to ruin years of friendship just because you decide to pair us up like everyone else! WE DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER!"

There was an awkward silence that covered the formerly chatty children, the true depth of Nova's words blanketing the siblings in a deep, well thought out...

"Stop using everyone to lie to yourself."

Sol's eyes were sharp with an intelligence that seemed to surpass his age but there was simplicity in them as well. He knew what he was saying was right but he didn't recognize the truth depth of his statement. He didn't actually know what she was lying about or why. He didn't know what plagued Nova's with doubt or even why Nova couldn't just tell Connor hey I like you. He just knew she couldn't and he was going to lose out on the bestest big brother ever because of it and Nova would lose her happiness.

"...Sol..." Nova started uneasily "it...isn't that easy. It's not that simple..."

Sol huffed and rolled his eyes "you old people always say that...it's like the bigger you get, the more you know and the more you know, the more easy answers seem hard."

"Sol..."

Sol let out a yawn, stretching tiredly towards the ceiling while groggily smacking his lips and Nova felt a ping of pity for her little brother. He is a pretty busy kid for someone so young with soccer practice, royal training, parkour training, not to mention general schooling and it was easy to forget that Sol was the next heir to both Mewni and the wand should anything happen to her. It would cause so much confusion, laws would have to be tripled check (and check once more for good measure), royals debating over such a matter and making back ups in case Sol couldn't legally be the ruler of Mewni or wield the wand, not to mention that would make him the first male Butterfly to become the keeper in the wand since...well ever and no one knew what would really happen or if anything would happen.

Nova let the matter go, Sol's words poking and prodding her rebellious thoughts into a frenzied but not enough to break her brain's hold on her heart.

"Come on Sol, let's go watch tv." Nova told him happily, calmly walking towards her little brother in case she accidentally startled him into a scamper.

Sol eyed Nova wearily, wondering if his sister had some sort of trick planned in order to steal his sword. She had the wand, she could make her own sword! He worked hard on this one and wanted to show Connor his hard work the next time he came over.

"Piggy back ride?" Sol asked cautiously, knowing full well how much Nova hated carrying him.

Nova chuckled softly "Alright brat, I guess this one time I can live with it. Don't expect it all the time...you're spoiled enough."

Sol cheered, scurrying over to Nova and happily allowing his older sister to lift him onto her back, wrapping his tiny little arms around her neck with the same care and carefulness he would with Connor.

"Charge!" Sol shouted, pointing forward with his makeshift sword in the cutest way possible.

Nova shook her head and rolled her eyes before rearing back, making sure she had a solid grip on Sol before crying outloud "Yes general Sol!"

"DEATH TO MY ENEMIES!"

Nova peered back at him quizzically "You have enemies?"

Sol pouted cutely, crossing his arms in a way that told Nova that he was very seriously annoyed by his 'enemies.'

"This kid named Toby, he think he's better than me! AND more adorable! I will show him my superior adorableness when I cut off all his hair with slicer!"

"Annnnnd slicer is?" Nova asked to ensure Sol wasn't going to sic Rocky on the poor kid or something.

"My sword" Sol replied with a hint of duh in his voice "this one right here!"

He raised his duct tape cardboard sword high into the air before whacking the side of Nova's head playfully "Now onward to the room of the living!"

"haha okay okay" Nova agreed, racing down the stairs at full speed, taking a silent joy at Sol's elated cries of happiness.

"Better than Connor huh?"

"Eh, you tried your best. That's what is important Novy."

"SOL!"

* * *

Marco and Star returned to their home sweet home around noon. Marco was bright eyed and bushy tail as ever while Star let out a long, tired yawn that hinted that she wanted to go to sleep as soon as possible.

"I don't understand why I need to take my driver's license test again! I'm a greeeeat driver! I only hit 5 trees this year and most of them accepted my apology. Except the one meanie pants on Maple Drive." Star whined before lifting Mr. Spatula up and began making mocking motions "Look at me I'm a meanie tree. Star only broke one of my wood legs but I'm still going to not be friends with her."

"Star" Marco carefully held his wife, tucking his chin into the crook of her neck "For the last time, they weren't trees. It was a stilt festival and those were people."

Star giggled a little bit as Marco planted a kiss on the back of her neck, causing a chill to run down her spine and her heart to beat wildly at the touch of his soft lips

"Stilts are made of wood and made from trees. Eggo they were trees Marco."

"I think you mean ergo."

"That's what I said!" Star cheerfully countered "Eggo"

Marco shook his head, smiling happily at his wife before realizing the television was on, that Falling of Gravity show playing loudly in the background of their conversation.

Marco and Star made their way over to the couch only to see Nova lazily taking in the mystery show with great interest (Under the veil of pretend disinterest since she claimed she was too old to be watching these cartoons) while Sol had tucked himself into a little ball and curled himself under Nova's arm, sleeping soundly without a care in the world.

"Oh hi guys!" Nova quickly raced to shut off the tv but was unable to find the remote so she just waved it off in hopes her parents wouldn't notice "How'd whatever you left for go?"

"Iiiiii did great!" Star cheered excitedly, pointing to herself in a proud, cocky manner "I got my license for another 5 years!"

Star broke into a little dance, biting her lips and shaking her arms up and down in a wild fashion as she scooted her way into the kitchen to cook (heat up) lunch that she totally made (Marco prepared before they had left.)

The grins never left Marco and Nova's face as Nova calmly asked "So how much?"

Marco waved to Star happily, muttering as quietly as he could to Nova "300."

Nova looked impressed "Wow, good price."

"Yep, she _really_ is getting better."

"So standard rules I take it dad?"

Marco nodded, confirming Nova's question "Yep. She's not allowed to drive outside Echo Creek and someone in this family has to be with her every second she's driving."

"Still...at least she's getting better."

"Agreed."

Nova opened her mouth to say more when her phone began blaring Tank! At full volume, vibrating softly in her hands to let her know someone was calling.

Marco raised an eyebrow but said nothing as Nova answered the phone, the infectious grin on her lips not at all matching the bored voice she answered with.

"Hey four eyes...yes yes good morning to you too. What do you mean I'm finally up?!" Nova scoffed in disbelief as she ascended up the staircase towards her room "I totally wake up early! I DO! Ugh, stop being annoying it's barely noon...whose that? What do you mean your robot butler? When did that happen? What do you mean it tried to kill you? With a toaster? WHY DOES YOUR TOASTER EXPLODE?! Well only when mom tries to bake with it."

Marco shook his head. Even apart, Connor and Nova were never really apart.

Sol let out a yawn, obviously fake, while glancing towards his father with a cocky smirk.

Marco reached into his pocket and fished out his wallet "No boys?"

Sol shook his head "Nope. Just me and Nova."

"Not even Connor?"

"Nope, Butterfly's honor"

Marco gave him a small, subtle nod of approval before handing him a 10 dollar bill, waiting for Sol to stuff the money into his pocket before loudly exclaiming "I need to change into something more comfy. I'm going to change honey!"

"Okay sweetie!" Star called back "Don't take too long, lunch is almost ready. Make sure to get Nova out of her room."

"Will do!"

Sol sat up straight as his father's footsteps disappeared into the second floor, his hand waiting and outstretched as Star rushed to his side.

Star eyed him carefully, looking for any sign of dishonesty or half truths.

"Did you get Nova to exercise?"

Sol nodded in confirmation

"Did she practice using her wand?"

Sol eyes widened before shaking his no "She's only had it for a week mom, she's not used to carrying it around."

"That wasn't the deal Sol. You get 5"

Sol let out an indignant cry "5! C'mon mommy, you're being unfair."

"that was the deal Sol. 5 to get her moving, 5 to get her to cast spells at you."

Sol began tearing up, sniffling loudly before sadly wiping his eyes dolefully.

Star cracked, handing him a 10 dollar bill "This one time but don't try that again. I invented the puppy pout."

"Yes Mommy..."

Star let out a defeated sigh, allowing Sol to tuck the money away in his pocket before calling out to the rest of the family "LUNCH TIME! FRESHLY MADE LUNCH!"

While the family noisily and blissfully ate lunch, Sol shared a knowing glance with each of them which Nova, Marco and Star returned, each believing Sol was acknowledging them solely.

Sol tried his hardest not to laugh at how cute his family was.

* * *

thank you for reading and a reminder which would you like to see first: Connor's day or Ferguson's visit? thank you and have an awesome week! STAY AWESOME EVERYONE!


	6. My murderous Butler and me!

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here with a very grateful thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they make me so happy and it makes it such a treat to write for you all. thank you so much for your support.

a special thanks to finn- thank you hope you like this next chapter, its crazy.

SonicElite- haha it's not a Mr.E story if it doesn't have errors in it. haha i try but sometimes i just miss a few. oh well. i accept any and all reviews and constructive criticism is always helpful. haha connor day got crazy. thank you for your support here is the next chapter.

guest- yep 25, oooold haha but i love me some good shows. sorry no Ferg visit yet but soon, E's honor. haha thanks i was being silly when i wrote it and covy thank you for your love of their life.

Narrator Nymph- it's the cute ones you have to watch out for and Sol needs some extra cash to burn. haha yeah Nova needed a way to cope or else she would've kissed Connor years ago with may not be a bad thing haha. and Sol is trained to be next mentor of the assassins it is his destiny. i hope you are doing well and your arm is healing nicely.

weatherfang- done and done.

guest- i think Sol would be unstoppable as a business man. too cute to handle.

princessxgilex- thank you for your review and support!

guest sorta- connor's day, got it and get rid of missy, not yet.

smitty theories - that would be pretty funny "So...nova, that voodoo doll thing" "hmm?" "Do you like sleep with it? because sometimes at night i feel someone hugging me" Nova fail.

Pdavis- thank you so much. I always try to add depth and character to everyone i write, even throw away or oneshot characters. If i don't feel it fits in the universe i'm writing, it doesn't get used. the best character's are the ones you can relate to and you are very welcome, it was my pleasure to shout out awesome works i read. it was fun and got out of hand quickly. scientific loony toons is the best way to describe it.

romantic sloth: yep that tank. Nova picked that for Connor because it was the one she hears him hum alot. Nova's ringtone is ironically sailor moon. sorry no ferg today but soon!

Krissdom- i know right. Sol is slowly becoming the most dangerous character i have ever written. i mean he is a combo of star and marco...so...yeah. dangerous. haha connor won and maybe i should write an in universe episode of falling of gravity. (Agreed, artist who wants to show nova hugging connor plush. i will love you forever and give covy request.)

cartoonlover- thank you for your kind words. connor won yay! i'm glad you enjoyed it and i didn't realize it at the time i wrote it just like another thing i didn't notice i did with connor in this chapter. go figure. of course, we need that dog.

grim- yeah i'm working on filler content. not so good at it. here's connor's day.

imanukeyourface- have you heard the live tank? so beautiful, makes me shamefully to be a sax. i can never be good as seatbelts senpai. never skim on the fluff!

anoymins- thank you so much i am so glad you enjoy it so. haha i try my hardest to make it feel like a star episode and so far so good. haha you never know maybe jassy will be a thing...umm misack? i dunno i'm bad at shipping names. haha i had to, nova needs a way to cope with her bottled up feelings and a plushie is the way to go. haah its small but he is far more open with his emotions than nova. EVERYDAY THAT'S WHERE START!

sweatermermaid- thank you so much for your kind words and support they really mean the world to me and you readers are the best :) i hope you enjoy connor's day.

CLM88-thanks and no worries, this story is not going anywhere. you got a long way to go to catch up one shot wise.

you voted and here it is Connor's day, taking place the same time Nova's previous chapter did. not going to lie this is long because i had to build up connor's world so sorry about that. it also gets really crazy because i am a mad man and i know no bounds.

so one thing before we start. luna2633 pointed something out when i gave a small preview of what i was going to be doing. something i was not aware of. no seriously was not aware of the parallels especially with connor's appearance and his choice of pet. just letting you know cuz i did not realize.

Luna also reminded me that this series is currently in October, specifically the end of October so i pose this question to you. Before Uncle Ferg's visit, do you want to see a halloween chapter...in the middle of summer haha gravity falls all over again but seriously let me know. It will be more filler, probably short and just random but let me know Halloween or straight to Ferguson's visit. thanks for the reminder luna2633

other than that thank you for taking the time to read this story, it means so much to me. thank you for every review, favorite and follow. it makes my day every time. this gets pretty weird, scientific loony tunes i call it but i hope you enjoy. I own nothing but covy and the increasingly large cast of OC's i keep making. somebody stop me! oh and disclaimer. do not try this at home. Connor is professional, do not emulate him.

* * *

The sun was slowly rising into the sky, its rays of vitamin sunburn and heat flowing into the household unopposed due to the window that had been left open overnight. The owner of the room was always very warm and his cramped bedroom always felt stuffy even towards the tail end of October.

There was a creaking of metal hinges that softly blended with the musical chirping of the birds outside the window, a harmonic balance of man and nature not often found in the suburbs.

Connor stirred in his sleep, briefly wondering why did one side of his face feel like it was pressed against numerous tiny squares with the texture of cheap plastic instead of his small little niche in his bed.

Connor awoke with a start when something landed on his back with a muted thump, the gently pressure of small talons resting on his shoulder blade giving him some comfort that it was only his pet deciding it was time for the slumbering inventor to greet the day.

Connor smacked his lips drily, eyes blurry from the lack of glasses as he rose from his sleeping position, the white glow of his computer basking his face and triggering the memory of last night.

"Oh...right..." Connor groggily muttered as he leaned back in his swivel chair "I must've fell asleep at the computer...again...:

Connor stretched out one of his arms while wiping the sleep from his eyes with his hand, letting out a yawn that slowly grew in volume.

"Where are my glasses? I know I didn't crush them" Connor told himself as he began groping around the wooden surface of the brown desk, finding everything except what he was looking for.

"Screwdriver, screws, hammer, nails, scotch tape, regular tape, painters tape, duct tape, eyeglass repair kit, something, something, something moving, wrench annnnnd no glasses."

"CAW!" a mechanical hoot came from his shoulder as his glasses dangled into view.

"Oh, did you move them for me? Thanks Harry." Connor said cheerfully, grabbing his glasses with one hand while the other patted Harry's smooth, cold beak gratefully "You're the best."

"CAW" Was Harry's response.

Connor blinked as the world came back into focus, his email account opened and his memory still quite not catching up to what he was doing last night.

"Congrats Mr. Sinclair..." Connor read, eyes squinting in hopes the sleep would wear off soon "We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted into..."

Connor stopped at once, pride and sadness conflicted together as he remembered exactly what the email was about.

Connor hurriedly closed the window, deciding it was something to deal with another day and not certainly when he just woke up.

"Caw! CAW!" Harry's hooted worriedly.

"It's okay bud" Connor reassured Harry by petting his beak once more "It's nothing bad, honest. Just..."

Connor trailed off, reaching for a screwdriver and moving the keyboard away to clear a space for Harry to land.

"Come on bud, let's tune you up huh?"

Harry trilled excitedly before the sound of metallic wings extending played into Connor's ear, a gentle breeze coming out of nowhere as Connor felt something pushed off his shoulder.

Harry took to the skies, circling over head before landing in front of Connor with a mighty thud.

Harry stared at Connor with his clear, glassy eyes, each blink accompanied by a electric whirl and the sound of a shutter opening and closing.

Harry wasn't too large, roughly the size of a basketball, smaller if his wings were tucked in, with skin the color of bronze copper. Harry had all the trimmings of a regular owl: Wide large eyes, hooked beak, sleek rows of feather straighten perfect in a row and a clear glass stomach so Connor could get a good view of the cogs and internal workings of his robotic pet.

"Okay" Connor beamed cheerfully to the little mechanical owl "Let us run some tests shall we Harry?"

Harry blinked happily, his little mouth opening and letting loose a cheer not unlike one would find at a sports game.

"Speakers are a go" Connor nodded in approval "Flight capabilities normal and in proper working order."

Connor leaned forward and tapped gently on the glass stomach, receiving an irritated hoot and glare from the owl "Gears appear to be good. Wing check!"

Harry puffed his chest out proudly, rising one wing high and allowing Connor to get a view on the hinges and screws that held it to his body.

"Left wing is good, switch."

Harry eagerly complied, folding his left wing while extending his right, almost in a boasting manner.

"Right wing is a little loose."

Harry looked appalled, staring at Connor with disbelief in his clear irises.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm not the one that likes to keep hanging out with Rocky. You know how reckless she is." Connor lightly scolded Harry who tucked his head under his wing "Nah uh, stay still unless you want to be a grounded bird."

Harry's head popped back out as Connor carefully tightened the screw, double checking to ensure it wasn't going to fall off anytime soon.

"Final test." Connor told Harry who chirped blissfully "Please follow my finger, gotta test your software and servos buddy."

Harry compiled, eyes rapidly shifting every direction Connor moved his finger, focusing only on the finger and nothing else.

"Okay, your servos are a bit slow but nothing to worry about at the moment. Might need to update the software soon but for now You, Mr. Harry Houdini Sinclair, are one healthy, perfectly running mech bird. You are now free to fly about the house."

Harry let a cheer of triumphant, extending his wings outward while pushing his chest out in victory.

Connor chuckled at the antics of his bird, turning to leave the seat when Harry pecked angrily his sleeve "What?"

"CAW!"

"Seriously? For a check up?"

"CAW! CAW!" Harry threw Connor a dirty look as his little speaker hissed loudly at his owner.

Connor shook his head, holding up some random pieces of metal scraps and junk in his hand and offering it to Harry who hungrily devoured each little bit before launching skywards again.

"I got to talk to mom about your diet, what do you think Novy?" Connor asked, turning to face his bed, one half perfectly bare, the other a mountain of random clothes, blueprints and papers.

Connor walked over and gingerly lifted the little doll his mother made for him when he was about ten. It was a wood sculpted representation of his best friend and the resemblance was striking. Despite the little spaces between the limbs where the joints were connected, his mom got everything right and evidently could see into the future given that Nova was craved with her current favorite attire in mind, even the little devil horns. Little boots, Marco's hoodie, his mother even got her facial expression right, a little smirky grin and all. Connor could see each stroke of paint that gave color to the simple doll, the painstaking effort that was put in. He couldn't guess how long this must've taken her or if she had gotten Star's help with the project but he loved it and took care of Novy the doll very well. He even asked Star to cast a spell that would prevent wood or paint from rotting away. Of course begging she never tell Nova. Kind of embarrassing. A little.

"So Novy." Connor started casually "As my best friend and girl I am totally crushing on, what do you think I should do?"

Novy did not reply

"I guess I should see if you are up huh? Though I doubt it given you like to sleep in on Saturdays. Even screaming Roman wouldn't get you up."

Novy remained silent.

"You know it's true" Connor defended, reaching for his phone and scrolling down to Nova's contact number "Roman this and Roman that. Roman is so perfect, so handsome, so awesome and cool...I...I...I'm not that...you know...just..."

Connor trailed off, quickly typing out 'morning princess' before sending it with a smile.

Connor turned back to Novy

"You know I'll have you know I am not bad looking...not...well I mean I'm not handsome like Roman...but you know I heard some girls...find...glasses...and..."

Connor sighed again.

"Who am I kidding? You don't like me and I've been as subtle as a cannon about it." Connor admitted "Ugh, I had to fall my best friend didn't I? A totally beautiful princess that sets my heart ablaze with longing and affection I've never before felt..."

Connor turned pink before sheepishly rubbing his neck "Oh man those that poetry junk again. No wonder you don't like me. Ugh, what should I do today Novy? It's too early to visit Nova and I don't want to deal with Rocky."

Novy smiled brightly his way.

Connor glanced around the room, unsurprised by its appearance: Nothing was tidy, instead filled to the brim with a random assortment of spare parts, failed inventions, randomly discarded clothing and tools. He knew it was pointless to clean it given the rest of the house matched his room completely. Just random piles of scrap, junk and gear scattered throughout the house and as much as he would love to invite people over, he knew most would probably have issue with the Sinclair's style of organization.

"I guess I should make breakfast." Connor concluded, gently placing Novy the doll back onto the little sleeping niche on his bed "Maybe I'll work on something later..."

Connor shifted guilty once he remembered the email.

"It's nothing. Honest."

Novy did not reply

"Yeah...Nova would've seen through it too..."

Connor shook his head as he made his way downstairs, lazily maneuvering through the random piles of inventing littered everywhere.

* * *

Connor made his way into the kitchen, glancing around for any sign of his parents. Given that there were no fires and no elated screams of joy mixed in with fear, it was safe to say they must've gone out for the moment.

"What am I feeling Connor?" Connor asked himself, randomly opening the cabinet doors for an answer to his question "What do I want to eat? Oh! I'll make an egg sandwich!"

Connor grinned contently to himself, proud he was able to make up his mind so quickly before his face fell at the sight of the toaster.

It seemed unstable, even unplugged, with random dials and gauges sprawled about its surface, the needles wildly fluctuating from 'everything is okay' to 'Danger Will Robinson'

Connor plucked off the hurriedly written note, clearly made in a panicked rush by one of his parents, his dad judging by the handwriting.

"Dear Connor" Connor read aloud "Do not use toaster. It is now thermal powered and we're missing a heating coil. Will exploded if used. So don't, love dad."

Connor let out an annoyed sigh, reaching for the bread regardless of the warning and half haphazardly plopping it down onto a plate at the dining room table before taking a seat.

He reached under the table, dropping a pair of thick, fire resistant industrial grade work gloves, a wielding mask and a hand held blowtorch onto the table's surface.

Connor carefully put on the gloves over his short sleeve white sleep shirt, wrapping a thick, sturdy apron to cover his matching sweats and placing the mask around his head, covering his face and holding the toast in one hand while turning on the blowtorch with the other.

Connor happily hummed to himself as he carefully guided the bright blue flame over the bread, close enough to heat it but not close enough that it would catch fire. Hopefully.

He turned off the flames, placing it onto the table before lifting the mask off his face. He peered carefully at the golden toasted bread and found it acceptable enough to eat.

"Who needs a toaster?" Connor smugly asked, taking a bite of the bread before realizing he hadn't cooked the eggs yet.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly when he heard the creaking of a nearby door. He frowned at the sight of the basement door swinging open back and forth. That's where all the really dangerous experiments were and somewhere Connor was not allowed to step foot in ever.

Connor shrugged, not in the least curious about why the most dangerous part of the house was left unlocked and opened. His parents forgot to close, lock and even open doors all the time. It was a normal occurrence here.

Connor slammed the door shut, letting some of his annoyance out with the act before he noticed a tag on the floor. Despite the mess that the Sinclair's lived in, tags were very rare and important pieces of information.

Connor scooped up the tag from the floor, struggling to read the very thin, faint writing on its surface.

"Warning, danger" Connor read, making an exasperated face at the warning. Obviously it was dangerous, it came from the basement "Experiment Mark 33y."

Connor frowned at the number. It sounded familiar but nothing recent. Experiment Mark 33y? 33y...why where there 2 3's?

"I'M COMING FOR YOU LITTLE MASTER!" a British sounding robotic voice called from the hallway, the thud thud thud of deep footsteps echoing through the house as a large, menacing shadow danced on the walls.

Connor let out a sigh, wondering what had gotten loose in the house now. Last week it was pack of mechanical mice (which Harry was happy to help with) the week before it was a rampaging roomba floor vacuum that had gained sentience and attempted to take over the household via appliance revolution.

The robot came into view, naked as the day it was created. It had thick, circular limbs with a sleek whitish gray polish that model it look like a high class crash test dummy. It had no mouth or any discernible facial features aside the fist sized red fish eye bulb optic and a comically mismatched black bow tie wrapped around its thin neck.

It focused on Connor, tilting its head quizzically at his appearance.

"Why are you dressed like that mein gamin?" it asked in its very British accent.

"I...wait...did you just use french and German in the same sentence?"

"Oh did I old chap? Can't rightly merken."

Connor massaged the temples of his forehead, trying to make sense what mom and dad created this time.

"So you are a British accented, German french speaking...what exactly?"

"Oh ho ho!" the robot replied with a smug yet stereotypical french phrase, out place with the English accent " I am programmed to be a majordome!"

"A butler? You're a butler? But what is with the french and German? I mean my parents aren't the best programers but still it sounds like you're trying to use Google translate with that accent of yours." Connor leaned in suspicious "Are you using Google translate?"

"Oui, Ich bin ein roboter, remember?"

"Umm..." Connor stared blankly at the robotic house servant "I don't speak German. Something about a roboteer?"

"ROBOT, you ignorant lad!"

"Yeah definitely British" Connor muttered under his breath "So got a name?"

"Oui, my name is...Error not found..." The robot shook violently, flailing out of control for a brief moment before regaining its composure "but what is a name important for! I AM HERE TO CLEAN!"

Connor took a step back, not liking the deranged look in the machine's eye as it slowly began closing the distance between the two.

"Say, you're not one of those bonkers A.I. That go insane and turn on their human creators are you?" Connor asked innocently enough, slowly reaching for the blowtorch while drawing as much attention as he could to himself.

The robot paused for a moment, as if analyzing its answer "You know, I rightly don't know. I mean I do have cleaning, safety and cooking protocols. But I really don't like the idea of humans ruining all mein work."

"So that's a yes on the killer robot. Greeeeeat" Connor whined, subtly turning on the blowtorch away from his body.

"Whatever, die mein gamin!"

The robot lunged towards Connor but he already a step ahead, tossing the lit blowtorch towards the oncoming threat while retreating further into the house.

The robot let out a panicked shriek, grabbing the dangerous object before it slipped out of his hands once more, his attempts to catch it more humorous with each passing failure until he finally managed to bent the nuzzle with his iron grip and ceased the flow of fire.

The robot could hear the pitter patter of footsteps running around, the groaning and moaning of aged wood with every passing step but this house felt more like a cavern: vast, unorganized and echoy. It was hard to tell where exactly the little master had gone and it was getting annoyed. All it wanted to do was make sure he was properly dressed for his funeral, cook him a healthy breakfast and murder him. Was that so much to ask for?

"Come out little master" The robot cried playfully "It's time to change. We wouldn't want to look slobbish, would we?"

"Nah, I like looking slobbish, drives the ladies wild." Connor replied from behind.

The robot whirled around only to get a face full of foam, Connor holding the oversized nuzzle of the pneumatic fire extinguisher.

The robot growled angrily, wiping the foam from its face but Connor was already working on his next move, aiming a hand held crossbow directly at the robots optic lens.

Connor let loose a bolt, his aim steady and true as the arrow sailed directly towards the robot's eye.

The robot chuckled cockily, snatching the bolt midair and snapping it in two "You have to try harder than that mein bete."

Connor scoffed "yeah I'm the idiot. You're the one who just spilled oil over my mom's nice floor."

The robot rolled its eye, unwilling to believe Connor until he noticed the blackish, oily substance running down its arm, dripping into a large pool of the stuff at its feet.

"AH!" The robot cried, gripping at its head fearfully, smearing the polish white paint of its body an oily black "This is a nightmare, do you know what oil does to hardwood flooring?!"

"Nope" Connor shrugged calmly "I'm an inventor, not a scientist."

The robot panicked, reaching for the nearest unsoiled cloth it could and frantically began patting at the oil in a desperate attempt to clean the mess it made.

"You really shouldn't break hollow shaft arrows in the house. Dad loves to fill them with oil. Easier for storage."

The robot looked upwards and narrowed its eye in a glare towards the young man before realizing he was tinkering with a small water bottle though the robot could not understand why Connor was pouring salt into the plastic container.

"What is that? A bit of a drink with some salt? Because salt is bad for you mein gamin."

"I know." Connor agreed, throwing the mixture of salt and water onto the robot's frame "But it _is_ how the human body works."

"I am soaking wet! Hand me a towel you little ingrate"

Connor reached into a nearby pile, holding to a red jumper cable with a gloved hand.

"Did you know that water, by itself, actually doesn't conduct electricity? But rather the impurities in the water, like salt found in the ocean or from the human body do! Trippy huh?"

"Okay" The robot answered slowly "But what does that have to do with...?"

"here, hold this." Connor offered the jumper cable to his foe "I need to find a towel, bit of a mess in here darling."

The robot beamed cheerfully "Oh jolly good young master, I was wondering if you were going to keep being rude, not cleaning up your house before I murder you. It's nice to see..."

The robot reached for the cable but Connor had already moved, snapping it shut over the robot's hand and backing away quickly.

The robot felt a surge of electricity flow through its body but it was unconcerned. Except for the trace amounts of copper wiring as its veins, the robot couldn't really be affected by any sort of electricity flow and thus was completely impervious any sort of shock damage.

A spark appeared here and there on the robot's body that gave Connor the hint it was time to put the wielding mask back on which he promptly did.

The blaze caught on quickly, the soaked robot body doused with salt making an excellent conductor for the electric flow from the car battery just laying about, no doubt Connor's mother trying to signal boost the wifi range or something of the sort.

The fire quickly spread to the oil, setting the entire frame of the robot ablaze but remain within the confines of the oily puddle.

"Fun fact" Connor's voice called from under the wielding mask, the glow from the fire reflecting off the sleek surface its surface "Oil is so much denser than water that it will actually float on top of the water! That's why oil fires are so hard to put out both in the ocean or in the kitchen. the water literally just displaces the oil if thrown on top and spreads it around. That's why you have to put it out with foam and luckily for me I have some."

The robot was too busy trying to pat the flames out to notice Connor douse it head to toe with some more foam, the fluffy residue quickly hardening due to the exposure to the air, trapping the manic robotic butler within a solid foam block.

"and that is science with Connor" Connor beamed proudly "Please remember to tip your servicer and donate to the arts. Thank you!"

Connor gave a mocking bow as the robot's fist punched through its foamy prison, clawing furiously at the outside world as it struggled to get free.

Connor let out a dejected sigh, realizing there was only one way to stop this robotic pest.

Connor made his way passed the shifting box of foam as more and more chunks began breaking away, calmly whistling under his breath as he replugged the toaster back in, crumpling up and throwing away the note for good measure. And, as relaxed as he left, returned to the cube, patiently waiting for the robot to finally break loose which happened a minute later.

The robot was beyond enraged: Its perfect white polish sheen was ruined, charred black by flames, scratched with barely visible sliver lines from when it clawed at itself and a few unburnt oil stains still remained.

"I LOOK HORRIBLE!" The robot wailed, clenching its hands into fists threateningly "DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET BURN MARKS AND OIL STAINS OUT?! DO YOU!?"

"A while yeah" Connor concurred "I'd recommend bleach. Might ruin your paint job though."

"YOU LITTLE NO GOOD SCHEMING DUMMKOPF! I WILL SHOW YOU THE WAY WE BRTISIH HANDLE OUR CHILDREN"

"Could I eat first?" Connor muttered sheepishly "I mean your arrival kinda made breakfast go on hold."

"Oh..." The robot stared at Connor in surprise "Oh! That is very bad of you young master, it is unhealthy for you to skip breakfast. A growing boy your age needs all the proper meals he can get!"

Connor looked at the floor shamefully "I know...but you know we teenagers are. Partying, texting, on the face spaces."

"Indeed" The robot smugly nodded in agreement "You need to better curve your habits young man or else I will be forced to discipline you harshly."

"...right. Can I have some eggs with toast, please?"

"Of course!" the British bot beamed cheerfully, strolling its way to the strange looking but totally should be fine toaster "We need our energy if we're going to clean this house and get you fitted for a burial"

The robot slid two pieces of bread into the toaster, he was a growing boy after all, and pushed down gently on the tab, turning expectantly only to find thin air where Connor should be.

"Young master? Mein gamin?" the robot called curiously into the house but gained no response "he must changing out of those dreadful and tacky pajamas. Kids these days, haven't the foggiest idea about fashion. I'll have to..."

There was a loud click and the robot found his vision scrambled, his limbs sailing freely through the air as the toaster burst, spitting him and its scattered, broken pieces outward into the hallway. The robot collided into a large pile that toppled over, unable to handle its weight and burying the butler up to his head with a random assortment of wires, ropes and bungee chords.

The robot struggled to get out but found its limbs were limp, useless as his servos and operating systems were rebooting from the sudden explosion.

"Good heavens. Good thing it was a concussive blast and nothing with fire. Be dreadful if I had to rebuild his house from scratch."

"Yes...dreadful."

the robot glanced upward to see Connor standing over him, the wielder's mask in place as he stared downward at the helpless butler.

"Oh good, young master. Kindly get me out and I'll get you a nice meal to eat, what do you say, ja?"

"Actually" Connor replied "I'm due for surgery in a little bit."

"Surgery? You are much too young to be performing surgery on any human mein gamin! And it's also illegal! I will not have you rotting in jail because you do not understand how human anatomy works. Get your medical license first then go around cutting open your friends."

"Sorry buddy" Connor said in a controlled voice, Harry landing on his shoulder and chirping loudly at the fallen robot "you misunderstand. I'm performing a robot lobotomy."

"hee, hee, hee good one little master" the robot chuckled nervously as Connors lifted a hand held buzz saw high for it to see "Jolly good joke. Best to let me go now, ja?"

"Don't worry" Connor told the robot gently, the loud whine of the buzzsaw drowning out rest of the robot's words "I have no idea what I'm doing but hey, live and learn right?"

"NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

"So I was telling Nova that I didn't think it was a good idea to make llamas. They might make a street gang and she was like well Fentonworks has that new animal wrangler squad, they can take care of it."

"Ja, ja, very good little master."

Connor sat at the dining room table as he happily chewed on the home cooked meal that his new robotic butler made for him: Over easy eggs, perfectly cooked ham and some pretty decent chunks of potatoes (the robot did not seem fond of potatoes, possibly a side effect from Connor's impromptu surgery).

"Will there anything else you require of me you little disaster you?" the robot asked with a mixture of duty and annoyance.

"Nah, take a seat, have some of whatever you eat."

"I, unlike you humanoid animal, only eat the finest nuts, bolts and imported oil and seeing as all you have is this 'american' oil, I supposed I will have to wait."

The robot butler sat across from Connor, looking oddly human in its new clothes. It wore an old brown peacock coat, gray slacks and black bowler hat Connor dug out of Henry's closet, clothes Connor was certain his father would never need.

"and I must find better clothing brav. These rags will simply not do! They do not match at all unless I was at a rally for fashionably challenged college students. Which is all of them."

"You know" Connor spoke, completely ignoring the robot's need for fancy clothing "now that you're not trying to kill me all the time."

"Only once in a while!" The robot chimed in.

"You need a name. Who created you?"

"Rodney Sinclair of Sinclair industries."

Connor frowned upon hearing the name, both Rodney and industries sounding extremely foreign with the Sinclair in their names. Yet there was an odd familiarity to it.

Connor shot that idea down at once in any case "Well no, that's not going to happen. Anything else? Coding? Model number? "

The robot peered upwards thoughtfully "Well the only other thing I am currently known by men gamin is Mark 33y. Another failed experiment in a long line of failures. Oh my family name is shamed and dishonored.

"hmm, Mark 33y. Mark...33y..."

"Young master?"

"You're name is Markeey. M-a-r-k-e-e-y" Connor stated proudly, giving himself a nod of approval.

Markeey was not so thrilled "...that is the best you can do? And you are aware that is not the properly spelling of the word."

Connor pouted "Well I reprogrammed you, I get to name you."

"Well played sir."

"ugh, I can't believe I could curve your homicidal tendencies but I couldn't get the German and French software to work."

"Connor, we're home!" came a loving shout from the front door.

"Hi mom hi dad, I'm in the dining room."

Rachel and Henry beamed cheerfully before paling at the sight of Markeey waving at them in human clothing.

"Hello sir and ma'am, the little master was just eating breakfast."

"Connor, where did you...?"

"Not me" Connor shrugged "he must've got loose. Don't worry, Markeey is fine."

"You named him Markeey?"

"Yeah, I had to open up his brain a bit, mess with the chips. I fixed him. mostly. I mean he may not remember how to make home made gelatin or smoked salmon but he still knows how to cook and I suppressed his stabby, stabby, stabby nature. By the way, who is Rodney?"

Connor was expecting an honest answer, the kind always given to him throughout his childhood.

What he got was an awkward pause of silence, an uneasy glance shared between his parents.

Connor stood up at once, unsure how to take this strange reaction from his parents.

"He's..." Henry started slowly "My brother. A whiz at programming. Er mostly. Markeey wasn't the perfect robot"

"I am the perfect robot! I find that insulting you dummkopf"

"But R-Rodney didn't mean to make him so crazy. It was an accident."

"Oh..." Connor said, unsure why his parents were trying to hide the fact he had an uncle "Okay. Well tell him to program his robots better. Not everyone can handle killer robots."

"Right."

The air was awkward and Connor realized he had dug up something unpleasant, something that his parents didn't want to acknowledge...or remember. He believed his parents when they said Markeey's behavior was accidental programming but they clearly did not want to talk about Uncle Rodney at all.

"Well I'm going to call Nova" Connor told them, hoping to give them some familiar territory to come back to "It's almost noon and she should be up. I'll be back down in a second and we can watch a movie."

"Sounds great Connor!" His parents beamed, all thoughts of Rodney gone and buried.

Connor quickly dialed Nova's number with Markeey trailing behind.

"Hey four eyes"

Connor tried to stifle the smile creeping onto his face as he told her "Good morning princess.

"Yes, yes good morning to you too" Nova replied a little too quickly.

"Finally up today?"

"What do you mean I'm finally up?! I TOTALLY WAKE UP EARLY!"

"Sureeeeee Novy"

"I totally do! Stop being annoying, it's barely noon."

"Little master" Markeey whispered into his ear...and the phone "Is that your little girlfriend? The one you've been talking about for the last hour?"

Connor turned a bright red, trying to calm his racing heart and praying to god Nova didn't hear what Markeey had said

"Whose that?" Nova questioned, seemingly unaware to what Markeey had muttered

"I-it's my robot butler."

"What do you mean your robot butler? When did that happen?"

"Oh this morning after he tried to kill me."

"What did you mean it tried to kill you?"

"With a toaster"

"With a toaster?

"yeah...it explodes Novy."

"WHY DOES YOUR TOASTER EXPLODE?!

"What, yours doesn't?" Connor teased, knowing full well Nova would piece together that his parents tinkered with it.

"Well..." Connor could see her fidgeting with her hair in the cutest manner possible "only when mom tries to bake with it. So are we going out?"

"Going out?" Connor felt his blush worsen. Was Nova asking him on a date?

"Halloween four eyes.'

"Oh...I mean if you want."

Nova scoffed "Of course I want to, do you four eyes?"

Connor smiled brightly at the phone, a rare and unguarded emotion he would never dare show the real Nova.

"As you wish princess."


	7. This is Halloween (in july)

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here wishing you an awesome week! Thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they mean so much to me.

a special thanks to CLM88: haha thanks i try to make them awesome. be careful, you might come back and finish this first haha

cartoonlover-haha yeah sounds like connor. though you want covy now or later. just asking and rocky and harry? well given how cute they are in the sketch, why not. I am so happy you enjoyed Connor's solo adventure don't worry he'll have more. (i think Connor has a doll of nova.)

Finn: i did and i cannot wait for it to come back!

heroaedrianmontila- yep! i couldn't resist with Connor's background. it was a nice change of pace and yep Connor has a little novy. thank you so much. this chap is full of covy goodness.

marionettej2x- interesting. you think Markeey has some other purpose? perhaps he wasn't programmed just to be a butler but something...else. i wonder what it could but hey that's just a theory, a fanfiction theory. thanks for reading and a special thank you for this chapter since it was your spoiling of me that lead me to write this chapter the way i did. so thank you!

guest sorta- haha okay sure i'll tell markeey and oooh cookies! oh wait...i can't have any...

grim: I always aim to please. now if i do is another story haha. yep he's got a nova and everyone wants Harry Houdini Sinclair. Now i'm not saying harry's got lasers but i'm not, not saying he doesn't. I am happy you enjoyed Markeey. hmm what indeed is in the email? I'm hiding a lot actually :) how about you find out?

Krissdom- i was thinking of it but i decided nah, Connor and Nova babysitting uncle ferg would've been funnier. thank you so much and accidentally like i write and fanart ideas come out. like i got a lot this weekend which i'll explain later. thank you for your review and your support!

princessxgilex- thank you for your review!

Pdavis- haha but you did and i do care! your stories are awesome, i just keep dealing with life because its life and it demands attention. haha yeah i love adding little details, subtle stuff you can comb through and i am a huge fan of those broken stories that make sense once you get the other part of the whole story. well...they were made for each other, that's why covy is so easy to ship :) don't worry star is almost here!

Werbenmanjensen- what you smell is bubbling drama, a secret and family.

Anoymins- haha Harry has accepted your adoption. he is happy. connor wonders why he's getting adopted. haha yeah i really wanted a clashing personality in Markeey loving and caring but trying to kill you because those robots are fun to watch and fun to write. because you know what an email saying you've been accepted to something could mean and Nova hasn't been a part from connor since they met. not super long term anyway. and sol? well man sol is going to be so emotional. thank you for your kind words and support.

SonicElite- because Markeey is Markeey. you love and hate him in equal measure. nope they won't like it at all but will connor tell them? haha Harry is amazing! he's a mothertucking owl! CAW!

Queen of Shipping: hi! i am happy you enjoy covy. haha makes me wonder how many people have a crush on connor. well here's the next chapter as promised.

Godlegend. Its not my plan. I work for starco insurance. i just do whatever she...er they tell me :)

thefandomreader: i am so honored you would do that. thank you so much and i am so happy to hear you enjoy the story so. well this is full of covy because i got spoiled this weekend. so enjoy!

so this week, as previously mentioned a few times I got pretty spoiled. In case you hadn't noticed I GOT A POSTER FOR NOVA VS! WOOT! which came from weather-art on tumblr who did a great job with it and also sent me a sketch of Missy, rocky, Connor and Nova. thank you so much. the queen of shipping also sent me this cute sketch as well check her stuff out at the tumblr she shares with her sister cartoonlover187. my good friend h mae also sent me a sketch of a young Nova and Connor looking adorable and like they were at a theme park which of course triggers ideas and a possible pre-nova vs story again.. check her work over on hains-mae also on tumblr THANKS A TON MAE and of course last but not at least, Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr who just loves covy so much she's spoiled the hell out of me. She drew several sketches of Jack, Connor, Nova, hinting at some stuff. drew the entire oc cast from Viktor, Jack, Harry, Rocky, sol, Missy, Roman, and covy of course and just kept on giving me some amazing work with this great picture of Connor and Nova, part of it is now my icon for ff. thank you so much deth, YOU ARE BEYOND AWESOME

Thank you all my readers for all the love and support you give this story. i greatly appreciate it with all my heart and a special thank you for everyone who gave me fan work this week. it was amazing and become my wallpaper.

so since I've been spoiled this week, i figured it's only right that i spoil all of you in equal measure and there's only way to do that. Covy. this is heavy covy goodness and it is my way of saying thank you. thank you for everything. for all the support, the ideas you give m, and the incredible fanart i never expected. seriously Nova only has this story because you all wanted to read it so thank you from the bottom of my heart. i won't keep you any longer. This is halloween covy, pretty light but i'm saving the actual halloween stuff for halloween so this is more like summerween. haha next up is Uncle Ferg's visit. So have an amazing week, thank you all so much once again and please enjoy the story.

* * *

"You humans are so uncivilized. You wear shorts as the sun sets! Nein little master, that is both unwise and disgustingly unfashionable. You should wear suits ja? Best to tidy up bit on the polish side of the wardrobe and I will have to speak to your parents about your horrible diet. _Potatoes._ " Markeey snarled, his British accent laced with venom and hatred "Truly you are unrefined savages."

Connor rolled his eyes, trying his hardest to ignore the ramblings of his psychotic robotic butler as the pair trudged down the streets, the sun slowly disappearing over the horizon as little skeletons, zombies, vampires, princesses, princess warriors, werewolves, Indiana Joneses, sunflowers, ghosts (both sheet and grim grinning), Solo's, mice and of the ever popular, powerpuff girls bustled about the nearby houses, searching for a tasty treat.

"Why are you following me?" Connor asked, the annoyance in his voice evident.

"I am not letting my ward walk about the streets by himself! You could beset by hooligans or worse, be a hooligan!"

"What the heck is a hooligan? And I walk to Nova's house by myself all the time!"

"Another thing!" Markeey screeched, raising his gloved hand to the sky, his mismatched clothing blending in with the growing sea of costumed people "I do not think I like your choice of girlfriend."

Connor flushed embarrassingly at Markeey's words "She's not my girlfriend! She's my best friend!"

"Girlfriend, best friend. Bah! Your feelings for her are as obvious as your lack of fashion sense!"

"I do not like Nova!" Connor shouted above the excited crowd.

"and I am not a psychopathic robot butler with part of my brain missing! Oh wait, ja I am which means you do mein gamin"

Connor remained silent, opting to jog to the Diaz-Butterfly household at full speed, Markeey giving chase awkwardly as his limbs flailed wildly as he ran to catch up to the young inventor.

"I'll get it!" Star told the rest of the household, humming happily as she skipped her way to the front door, excitedly pulling it open to see a mortified Connor and a rather strange, metal man lecturing him.

"and furthermore, you cannot set me on fire anymore. It is ungentlemanly to be seen ablaze"

"Hiiii Connie!" Star beamed joyfully before peering forward with a twinkle of curiosity in her bright blue eyes "ooooh whose your friend? He's all metal and shiny! So shiny"

Star seemed to be lost in a daze, biting her lips eagerly as she reached to poke Markeey who promptly waved the magical queen off.

"Bah! Do not touch me mum! I do not like being touched!"

"Sorry metal man!"

"I am not metal man" Markeey replied clearly irritated "I am Mark 33y or as named by the young master...sigh...Markeey."

"Mar key?" Star repeated, nodded in understanding while silently praying that she pretended to understand so he left her alone "and he is...?"

"My butler. I guess...it's...it's a long story Mrs. Diaz."

"Okay!"

Connor smiled brightly until he caught sight of Star's outfit, unsure why the young mother was dressed in an oddly familiar outfit.

Star was wearing a red hoodie, a painted on mole on her left cheek with black slacks, olive green converses with a gray undershirt, Mr Spatula held closely at her side.

"Umm Mrs. Diaz, who are you this year?" Connor wondered quizzically, recognizing the well known hoodie anywhere but still not quite understanding Star's costume of choice.

"I'm Marco!" Star threw her hands in the air excitedly before dropping into a girlish voice "I got my cute little mole, my slacks, I can fight with karate! And I got the most beautiful queen as my wife!"

"That last one sounds like me."

Star turned around hurriedly, sheepishly smiling at her husband as he came down the stairs, wearing a more traditional costume.

Marco had his hair slicked back, combed to perfection as he wore an elegant yet very old fashion shirt and pants, a long black cape with a blood red interior trim, a set of false pale fangs covering his real teeth.

"Connor, you've got a robot?" Marco asked as he slid one hand around his wife's waist, causing her cheeks to become engulfed by a red tint.

"Got is a strong word" Connor begun, trying to figure out the best way to explain the situation without alarming his surrogate family.

"Indeed, I escaped from the holding cell his parents kept me in and attempted to murder mein gamin so I could properly dress him in the sharpest manner possible for his burial while cleaning up his house and ridding it of those ghastly potatoes."

Connor face palmed himself, hoping that Mr. and Mrs. Diaz remained calm at this suddenly revelation

"Given how calm you are, I take it that Connor fixed you?"

Connor glanced at the still smiling adults with a bit of confusion on his face, unsure how the pair could be so calm about...oh wait. They were Marco and Star Diaz. They had been through and seen it all.

"Unfortunately so. While his operation did curb my more...murderous tendencies, I can sadly no longer cook my world famous croque madam that I downloaded from a cooking website so long ago..."

Markeey clutched his fist dramatically, eye scrunched up as if he was trying to hold back a tear.

"Whose madam did he croque?" Star pouted, wondering if the robot was purposely saying funny words to mess with her "Follow up, what is a croque? Is that like the triplet to alligators and crocodiles? Oooooh is it tiny snapping lizard? Can we get one as a pet? Can we, CAN WE?!"

Marco chuckled nervously as Star leaned forward expectantly towards him, her shining blue eyes glimmering brighter than her namesake.

Connor would've never guessed Markeey would be capable of such a thing but the blank stare he seemed to have indicted he was staring at Star with the most deadpanned look he could muster.

"You must be joking me. This woman cannot be serious."

"She's not from around here" Marco supplied helpfully "She's from another dimension."

"Ja? Well that raises more questions."

"Anyway" Connor quickly cut in, trying to shove Markeey away and prevent him from entering the household "You can go home and you know, not kill anyone on the way.

"Fine little master I shall take my leave. There are still some unruly potatoes I must bring into line. Their little rebellion ends with the peeler!"

Connor nervously chuckled, anxiously waving his murderous butler goodbye before quickly shutting the door before Markeey decided to raid the Diaz's for potatoes.

"AH!" Markeey's shrill voice cried from the outside "I FORGOT TO TELL THE MEIN GAMIN TO BRING ME THIS HOUSE'S POTATOES. I WILL HAVE RETURN WITH THE FLAMETHROWER!"

Connor let out a heavy sigh "I think I need to make more adjustments to his programming."

"Well you did a great job Connie" Star smiled proudly "It's pretty cool to have such a shiny man watching over you."

Connor shook his head "I don't know about that but I guess we'll...

"CONNIE!"

Connor barely managed to get in a blink before being tackled by Sol who embraced Connor tightly.

"Hey Sol, what's..." Connor stopped mid-sentence, frowning at the sight of the young boy. Something was off but Connor was having trouble piecing together what exactly it was.

Sol's costume was rather extravagant. A long elegant black captain's pirate coat with a white collared shirt underneath, a rather skeletal looking man imposed on the gold medallion that hung around his neck with matching black slacks, boots and sword sheath among the rest of the attire, a comically large tri-horn hat with a large blue feather placed over Sol's bright, yellow hair.

"Sol, did you dye your hair?" Connor questioned. He was also certain that Sol's hair had been a dirty blonde shade the other day when he hung out with Nova.

Sol beamed joyfully, his head shaking rapidly back and forth as he eagerly answered his Connor's question.

"Nah uh Connie! I can do this!"

Sol scrunched his eyes closed, puff out his cheek in deep concentration as he held his breath, waiting for whatever was supposed to happen to happen.

Connor marveled in amazement as Sol's hair began to shift colors, a wave of the familiar dirty blonde hue began to overtake and cover up the sunshine yellow that was foreign to Connor's eyes.

"Ta da!" Sol gestured with open arms, present himself in the cutest manner possible "I can change my hair color. I can't always do it, especially when I'm sick but when I do, I can pick any color I can think of."

"Whoa. That's really cool Sol!" Sol gave a toothy grin towards Connor praise "wait can Nova do that?"

Sol shook his head, a smug look over taking his happy one "Nope, I think I can only do it. I guess I'm more magical than her huh?"

Connor gave a strained smile, deciding it was best not to confirm or deny such a claim "So Sol, where did you get that sweet outfit?"

"Mommy gave it to me!"

Marco narrowed his eyes Sol's costume "Mommy gave it to you?" he asked suspiciously.

Sol nodded enthusiastically while Marco eyed his wife carefully, paying extra close attention to how nervous Star was.

"Honey?" Marco began softly like a detective preparing his investigation, his pupils focusing on every facet of Star's face.

"Yes my handsome, loving, _understanding_ cinnamon bun of a husband?"

"Where _did_ you get that costume? I don't recall you buying it for Sol and it seems preeeetty expensive for something you'd get at the store."

Star giggled anxiously, lightly chewing Mr. Spatula before realizing her habitual tic had given her away.

"STAAAAAAR!" Marco scolded, closing the distance between his wife and himself.

"So...remember that pirate bunny captain a few years back? From when we were teenagers?"

Marco's face shifted from quizzical to disbelief "You didn't..."

Star's pearly whites were on display as she shrugged innocently, still trying to puppy pout Marco's rage away.

"Well if you are talking about the fact that I stole his cute adorable little outfit then no! _I physically_ did not steal the pirate coat thingy from Captain Pink nose myself."

"Staaaaar."

Star crossed her arms defensively, matching her husband stance if not his attitude "What? His first mate Fluffy mcMean shorts took it first! He was going to throw a perfectly good outfit away and the laser puppies were getting so big and I thought it be cute on Pinkington and it was, so I regret nothing!"

Marco rubbed his eyelids tiredly "Star, you can't just keep pirate clothing. It could be stolen or worse, cursed."

"Look, just because the carrots they had were cursed, and made them all skeletons in moonlight, doesn't mean everything is curse! I mean come on who would curse a coat?"

Marco gave her a sharp look

"Okay" Star conceded "I guess the Fashionista Witch would but that was a whole other adventure! Besides, you aren't complaining about your costume! You look so cute, dressed up like a blood sucking creature of the night. Rawr!" Star scratched playfully at Marco's cheek, nearly bringing a smile onto her husband's face.

"Star, you don't recognize this outfit?"

Star peered carefully at Marco's traditional vampiric outfit "Nooooo?"

Marco covered his face with his cape, leaning closer towards Star in an almost predatory manner, his light brown eyes solely focusing on her sky blue, pulling her deeply into a trance.

"Hello Miss Butterfly..." Marco murmured in a soft, flirty tone.

"...Wait!" Star's eyes sparked with recognition as she quickly grabbed the cape and began tugging at it "Are these the clothes from when I accidentally turned you into a vampire?!"

"Yep! Mom got it fitted for me this year so I decided to wear it."

"Ooooh look! Here's the scorch mark when I blasted you the sunshine heart storm! And this is where I dug my fingers in when we almost kissed! And this is where..."

Connor quietly made his way upstairs, deciding it was time to leave before the happily married couple got too lost in past memories.

* * *

"Knock knock" Connor's voice called from behind the closed door "Can I come in Nova?"

Nova jumped at the sound of Connor calling for her out of nowhere, letting out a little squeak as Connie the plush and wand flew out of her grasp and tumbled to the floor.

"Nova?" Connor asked, unable to keep the worry out of his voice "Nova, are you okay? Did you need help with something?"

"I'm fine!" Nova shouted back, dropping on all fours and scrambling to find a proper hiding place for Connie "Just fine!"

Nova pumped her fist in victory as she grabbed hold of the little plush only to stop dead at the sound of her doorknob jangling back and forth, the small click sound impossibly thunderous in her ears while the wooden frame let out a loud groan as the door swung open.

Nova glanced around, frantically searching for any place to hide Connie's existence. She was never going to live it down if anyone, especially the person the plush was designed after, found about him.

Nova stood up to full height, letting Connie fall out of her hands and back onto the floor. With a mighty kick, Nova's foot pushed Connie under her bed, the plush disappearing behind a random assortment of clothes, papers and candy bar wrappers that lay beneath her mattress.

Nova flinched, covering her mouth apologetically as she whispered softly "Sorry Connie."

"Why are you sorry?"

Nova eeped as Connor took a step into her room, his forest green eyes full of curiosity and concern but unaware of the syrupy, warm feeling they was spreading through Nova's body

"I-I'm s-sorry you had see my room in such a mess!" Nova stammered, giving a tense smile, silently chanting "Please buy it, please buy it."

Connor glanced around and wondered what Nova was talking about: her room was spotless as ever, except the bottom of her bed since that was never cleaned, though he found it funny her wand was laying haphazardly on the floor.

"Nova" Connor lightly scolded, motioning toward the floor in a disapproving manner.

Nova could feel her heart leap into throat, her mouth becoming dry at the sight of Connor pointing under her messy bed. Did he spot Connie? Was he going to tease her mecrilessly?! Was there any way to distract him from discovering the plush she would so hard to hide?

I know, Nova thought brilliantly, I'll kiss him! That'll distract him alright!

She beamed in triumphant before slipping into shock, her hearts beginning to faintly glow as the rest of her brain caught up to her thoughts.

Kiss him? Nova thought to herself. Kiss him? I...we...I mean if I kiss him on the l-l...

Nova blush worsen at the mere idea of thinking about l-i-p-s and kissing. There was no way that was a good idea but it was oddly tempting in the worse way possible...just one little peck, what was the worse that could...

"Nova?"

Nova let out a startled yell, flinging herself backwards before realizing she was about to lose her balance and fall onto the floor. Her hands flailed wildly, reaching for anything she could help steady her fall.

Nova felt her hand slip into something warm, firm. She hadn't the slightest idea what it was but she was grateful for it.

She yanked forward on it, surprised when instead of it coming forward and pulling towards her, she came to it, colliding with something solid that stopped her in her tracks.

Now that she wasn't in danger of embarrassing herself any further, Nova found herself staring at a black crescent moon surrounded by a sea of white

Nova could feel her body tense up, realization hitting her like a ton of bricks as she slowly moved her gaze upwards to the relaxed face of Connor smiling happily at her.

"You okay Novy?" Connor asked politely, his heart thumping against his control.

"Y-yeah four eyes, thanks for the catch!" Nova patted his chest in the most endearing way possible before break away, her hand slipping out of his.

Connor reluctantly pulled his other hand away from her waist, trying his hardest to suppress the red hue his cheeks threatened to become colored with.

"So" Connor cleared his throat "what are we going to do for Halloween?"

"Easy four eyes, dress up. I thought it was obvious."

Connor pursed his lips "Novy, I don't have a costume. I mean between this week, Ludo's attacks, your birthday and wand ceremony, I totally forgot to get one. I mean" Connor paused thoughtfully "I still have my Dipper Oak from Falling Gravity outfit but I don't like repeating the same thing each year."

"Don't worry four eyes" Nova told him confidently, plucking her wand from the floor and lazily passing it between her hands "The wand's got us covered. I'll just use a spell to get the best costumes for us! Problem solved.

"Nova" Connor started "Is there even a spell for that? It seems very childish for an all powerful wand to have a costume change spell."

Nova scoffed at Connor "Shows what you know. I happened to be studying for it alllll week in case we didn't have a chance to find costumes."

Connor shot her a disbelieving glance "And by study, you mean stumble upon it by accident?"

"Hey!" Nova answered "I totally was studying."

"Nova, you didn't even study for school."

"I totally do!"

"practicing your puppy pout to use on your dad does not count."

"Mom says it does." Nova muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I said I am happy to help you out with your costume four eyes."

Connor frowned at Nova "Hey, I am perfectly fine picking my own costume."

Nova stared at her best friend, unable to believe what she was hearing "This coming from the guy that wears the same shirt everyday"

"Not...everyday" Connor mumbled under his breath.

"Oh right because the inverted colors count. By the way, it doesn't"

"Ugh, what do you want from me?" Connor whined loudly "Seriously Nova, I didn't have a chance to get any costumes and I really doubt you mastered the spell"

"Psst, excuses four eyes" Nova waved Connor off while trying to hide the fact that she hadn't even looked at the spell a second time "okay. time for the wand."

Connor let out a sigh of defeat "fiiiine, come on Novy, we're burning daylight."

"Okay, here we go! QUICKIE COSTUME CHANGE!"

The wand exploded, bellowing a large purple cloud that quickly engulfed the two within its thick, dense fog.

Nova and Connor coughed loudly to expel the smoke from their lungs but the cloud disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

"Oh man, I hope I don't get lung damage from this!" Nova complained, using her gloved hand to clear away the smoke.

"Is that even a thing?!" Connor replied, coughing loudly to filter out the smoke.

"Probably" Nova replied before opening her eyes and finding her fair skin covered by elbow length white gloves.

Nova's eyes traced the gloves downward, going further and further until she stopped at her entire outfit.

"OH HECK NO!" Nova shouted at the top of her lungs, scaring Connor out of his wits.

Nova was wearing a very form fitting knee length sky blue dress with a sliver trim at the bottom, the straps holding up the entire outfit embarrassingly thin with a pink sash wrapped snugly around her waist, light blue leggings tucked into plain black shoes on her feet and her royal crown resting on her head finishing the look.

"This is not okay, THIS IS NOT OKAY! I DID NOT WANT THIS! FOUR EYES I..." Nova angrily turned to Connor only for the words to die in her throat.

Connor was still coughing, attempting to wave away smoke that no longer existed with his eyes wide shut. good thing too or else Connor would've been staring at a dumbfounded Nova.

Connor had a refined, black hat over his now neatly combed head, his blue tunic with refined white sleeves under his dark blue poncho with an elegant, sliver cross in its center. Black leggings tucked into thick black riding boots with a beautifully designed rapier sheathed at his side.

"Give me a warning next time Novy." Connor choked out, slowly opening his eyes and getting his first sight of Nova in her costume, the young magical princess looking every bit the definition of the word _magical._

"you look great..." Connor muttered in a hypnotic daze.

Nova flushed wildly "Thanks, you look great too Connor..."

There was a loud clearing of throats as Connor decided to check out the rest of his outfit

"Awesome, I'm a musketeer! And I even got a rapier." Connor couldn't stop the goofy grin on his face.

"So..." Nova began causally, trying to resist the urge to lock Connor in an eternal embrace "What's with the get up?"

"well" Connor bit his lip thoughtfully, accidentally drawing Nova's attention towards the action which made her copy the gesture "Every place had musketeers but the most famous of them were the french. French musketeers were like knights but more opened to the lower class of nobility. You didn't have to be a high rank to be a musketeer!"

Nova nodded "That sounds good to me Connor, come on! Let's go trick or treating before it gets too late."

and before Connor could get a word in, Nova rushed down the stairs, trying to keep her heart still but failing horribly.

* * *

"How many pieces did you get Connor?" Nova asked with a hint of competitive edge to her innocent question.

"Umm...3 pieces" Connor muttered, peering into his bag to make sure he was counting right.

"Ha! And princess for the win with 5 pieces" Nova teased, playfully nudging Connor's side.

Connor let out a rascally laugh "Well pretty princesses always get spoiled, right Nova?"

Nova giggled nervously when Connor shot her a cocky smile.

"Don't try to butter me up! I'm not sharing Connor."

"yes you are" Connor replied matter of fact "You always share. Unless it's M&M's, you're just gong to steal mine."

"Exactly! Resistance is futile! All your M&M's are belong to me!"

Connor stopped out of nowhere with Nova following suite and without a beat of hesitation, he respectfully bowed to the magical teen "Of course my princess."

Nova couldn't stop the train of giggling from her escaping her lips, her cheeks tugging upwards in a wide, silly smile.

"Nice try Connor but no dice, still taking your M&M's"

Connor rose, snapping his fingers in disappointment "Oh darn, what will I do without my M&M's?"

"Steal my gummy worms" Nova supplied.

"Well, there _is_ that"

"Oh look, it's Covy!"

Connor and Nova turned around together, unaware what had been said to catch their attention.

The pair saw Jack standing there, waving happily towards the two as he approached.

"Lazy much Jack?" Nova looked up and down his 'costume' which was nothing more than his usual well dressed and sharp outfit.

"Nah ah ah!" Jack waved his finger mischievously before smoothing motioning to his hair "This is my costume."

"Hey did your bangs always go out like side horns?"

Jack frowned at Connor's observation before pointing aggressively to the top of his head "Yes but that's irrelevant now."

Nova and Connor noticed a pair small yet detailed white devil horns that appeared like they were growing directly from Jack's skull but the simple black hairband in the middle of the horns reminded the duo they were fake.

"real original Jack" Nova told him with a deadpanned voice "but copying someone is so cliched and unlike your white horns, my horns are a classic."

"Outdated you mean" Jack smiled slyly.

"Ha ha, funny Jack" Nova rolled her eyes "What are doing out here anywhere? I didn't peg you for the treat or tricking type."

"And normally you'd be right" Jack gestured with a massive bar of candy in his hand before biting a large chunk of it "Bhut Todah is a gphd dah forh me!"

Nova and Connor shared a look with one another. They were certain Jack hadn't had anything in his hand when they first saw him and he didn't seem to be carrying sort of bag.

Jack gulped the sugary snack down his throat, smacking his lips hungrily as he opened a small box of chocolate covered cherries "Serious, best day to be me right now."

Now I get it, Nova and Connor thought together before clutching their bags a little closer

"So is this all you're going to do tonight?" Nova asked Jack happily.

Jack shook his head "I was thinking of trying that"

Jack pointed behind with the small lollipop, sticking into his mouth and letting out a satisfied hum "Good stuff."

"A haunted house?" Nova asked quizzically "You like haunted houses?"

Jack shook his head "no, but the people who go in there could always use a little company."

Jack winked towards the couple before disappearing into the crowd quickly, almost like he wasn't there to begin with though the two could see his retreating figure once the crowd parted.

"Psst, haunted houses" Nova scoffed "I can handle a haunted house."

* * *

"FASTER CONNOR FASTER!" Nova screamed at the top of her lungs, glancing fearfully behind to see if the masked man was still chasing them, unaware her arms were no longer firmly holding onto Connor's shoulders but rather wrapped around his neck tightly "HURRY CONNOR!"

There was a loud roar, the sputtering of a chainsaw echoing from everywhere and nowhere at once, the long draped clothed walls making the room seem much larger than it really was, towering over the panicked Nova and calm Connor, the thick smoke curling off the floor and flashing lights making it difficult to locate the exit.

"CONNOR!" Nova squeezed herself tighter against Connor's back, tucking herself into the little nook of Connor's neck and closing her eyes in hopes it would be over soon.

Connor glanced around for the exit, trying to ignore Nova's cool breath tickling his neck, Nova's arms wrapped around him tightly, embracing him in a close and very intimate manner as he tried to steady his breath, trying to find the quickest way out of the house to get Nova to calm down.

A tall, lanky man wearing mismatched tattered clothing rushed at the pair from the darkness, his face glowing red as he heaved the chainsaw high above his head, letting loose an animistic growl before lunging towards Connor and the frightened princess.

"CONNOR!"

"Don't worry Nova I got you!"

* * *

Nova and Connor decided to head home after that...thrilling adventure

Connor sat on the Diaz's couch, one arm lazily hanging over the armrest, the other at his side with Nova tiredly using Connor's shoulder as a makeshift pillow, a large batch of nachos in between the two. Connor called his parents and asked to sleep over and with the approval of both set of parents, Connor and Nova spent the rest of the night watching cheesy, B horror movies well into the night but not completely peacefully.

There was a singular thought poking and prodding at the pair as the moon waned in the sky.

Their costumes created by the wand. Chosen by the wand. But what did it mean? They were just costumes right? Nothing more, nothing less or was the wand trying to tell the princess and her knight something?


	8. Uncle Ferguson comes to tooooown!

Hello fanfiction, Mr.E here with many thank yous for every single review, favorite and follow. They mean the world to me and Nova, right Nova?

Nova: That's right Mr.E! Thank you so much everyone! Seriously, you are really humbling this magical this is only possible thanks to all your love and support. thank you so much

Connor: yep thanks!

Nova; ugh, four eyes, you must sound more grateful.

Connor: They know we love them, right?

Nova; ugh, four eyes!

Go flirt somewhere else.

Nova&Connor: WE'RE NOT FLIRTING!

(shoves them into a room and locks the door)

A special thanks thanks to Imanukeyourface: the ship loves you too! thank for you for your support and sorry but the covy warning falls over starco warning and it's proven to cause diabetes still sorry.

finn: thank you hopefully here's more thrills

guest sorta: i guess i'll have to settle for real cookies...

heroaedrianmontilla- me too! imagine how much money we'd save on hair dye for costumes, a little nod to gravity falls since Dipper Pines might find himself in Echo Creek due to a certain magical family. Indeed looks like the wand is expecting something from Connor and Nova. thank you, weather-art on tumblr surprised me with it and its great! I knew it was aploy but still a great episode.

Jayanna; I am so happy covy thanks you, see above thanking. So punny! :D aww that's really sweet of you thank you i hope you keep enjoying it.

thefandomlover: more? YOU WANT MORE? kay. and sorry cliffhangers are kinda my thing

Queen of shipping: gotta leave room for my favorite detective grown up and ready to come in haha time to up the dosage. later not now. too much covy can blow your mind and thank you for the review.

cartoonlover: i think covy now and covy later is going to start a civil war. Don't war. haha Sol is a prince of many talents. Jack lives to be charming and suave.

MariontteJ2x- Oh sorry, it's on the covy/starco warning label. I should really make it big *Looks to giant billboard warning* oooh awesome! take your time because i really do appreciate you drawing covy out for me :) and of course not. it's coming up. wait, you got to return! DETH! DEEEETH!

Anoymins- i was tempted to have Marco dress up as star but Marco did it last year. Connor was used to it though he never seen Star dress as Marco. that threw him off. Don't worry the princess may return. haha Yep You can imagine how happy Sol was watching tangled, wishing he could change hair color only to find out he could! happy day indeed. Sol loves you too. haha that's how imagine Starco and given their general relationship right now, i think it's safe to say their actual married life wouldn't be that different. haha they've done crazy things a long time now very little fazes them. haha Jack takes after them immensely and loves his parents dearly. haha so this covy has Pacha's seal of approval? YES! indeed, and during real Halloween, scary ooooOOOooOOo thank you for the review.

minthia- thank you so much, it means a lot to me and of course. If you readers want more covy, i shall happily obligated. My children are making me so proud.

princessxgilex- thank you so much for your review :)

Author smimph- well the wand did pick on Star's giddiness about covy so it naturally wanted to see what the fuss is about and it sees why Star ships them so hard. Conor may be unsure of himself outside but at home, he rules. yes looks like Nova's crush is slipping more into the foreground each passing day. markeey approves of your love of him and don't worry, he's a mobile hotspot too!

SonicElite- right? it's almost like the wand was acting on Nova's buried desires. weird. Indeed though the foreshadowing is stronger here. Markeey takes on your challenge and will make you watch as he destroys your potatoes in front of your very eyes! haha maybe when he's secretly tailing someone, secret agent sol. coming this fall. thank you so much i am honored at your nonexistent seal. it looks great! :) stay awesome Bro!

grim- ha ha ha ha...that laugh was something huh? RIGHT!? the wand knows the users desires, even if the user pretends they aren't real. just giving them a little nudge. haha Awesome, Jack's got more charm than his dad. hopefully or more questions.

krissdom: haha Sol should sell fake gel that claims to do the same to make some extra money. thank you so much

smitty theroies- approved. need help, let me know!

guest: umm...*places new chapter on the ground near you* enjoy! don't forget to breath.

grunklenephew- the demand for covy was much higher than i ever anticipated and unfortunately Guardians suffered a rather serious set back as explained in the newest chapter but its back and ready to keep its story going forward. hope you enjoy both!

kittycat: thank you so much! i am really honored you chosen covy as your new otp. and they are...well in denial about it but thank you for reading the story! I'm really not. I'm just a guy that likes to write and constantly being surprised how well my children are doing. haha being a mary sue isn't the worst thing in the world but they have to face challenges and sooner or later something they can't do and i feel ocs should be made in a relateable way. just even one little aspect something you can connect to. Flawed ocs are the best in my book and watching them grow is great. Man if daron did that, i might die from pride. then ask for a job haha seriously if she ever finds out about covy i might just keel over and die. thank you for your kind words and i hope you keep enjoying the story.

thundermist36: thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support of this story! seriously you readers make my day when you leave me reviews on any of my stories and i am proud that my children are doing so well. i hope you keep enjoy the work. :)

guest; Thank you so much! Covy loves you too :)

so here we are, Uncle Ferguson's visit. president Ferg comes down for the day and decides to hang out with his favorite Mewnian family.

That's pretty much it really. Thank you for all your support and love of this story, you make writing an amazing experience and i appreciate every single one of you. without you readers, i wouldn't be much of a reader. Enjoy! and i own the ocs. still weird to say

* * *

The illumination from the fireball in the sky covered Nova's face, causing her to stir in her sleep and rousing the princess into a waking state.

Nova let out a loud, unfiltered yawn as the sun lazily rose on the Sunday morning, eyes straining to shake off her tiredness.

"Why am I up so early?" Nova muttered under her breath groggily, annoyed at whoever decided to leave her curtains open.

Nova let out a frustrated moan, shutting her eyes in a desperate bid to return the sweet embrace of sleep only to find it eluding her, refusing to bring her back into a restful slumber.

"Fiiiiine" Nova whined loudly "I'll get up but mark my words Mr. sun, if you keep this up, I will block you out. Only for a little bit. Don't want to die."

Nova slowly sat in her bed, tucking Connie the plush under her pillow, grateful the inanimate object was not too dirtied when she hid its existence from his real life counterpart.

Nova glanced nervously towards the bedroom doom, concerned that Connor was suddenly going to burst through the door like he did the previous day.

Nova could feel her face burning at the idea of running into Connor her household, her mind running wild with suddenly self aware comments.

It had been a while since Connor slept over the Diaz-Butterfly household, the last time back during a time where Nova was more concerned about growing up and training with the wand than...certain teenager boys in her life and things had certainly changed since then and while Connor had been in and out of the house during his visits, she had long since been used to them. Connor at the breakfast table was a new and for some reason, frightening experience.

Nova took a calming breath. She had nothing to worry about, nothing to stress over. She saw Connor all the time, talked to him everyday, every moment. There was no need to be scared.

Nova flushed at the idea of sleepy Connor, his cute face scrunched up mid yawn and the syrupy urge to just...

Nova flushed, shaking her head in hopes to cool her now blazing cheeks, her hearts faintly glowing in the brighter light.

"Come on Nova, you got this" she told herself, clutching her hands into determined fists "YOU GOT THIS!"

"Do you?"

Nova shrieked, flailing backwards and falling onto her bed, wand held tightly as she opened fire: Rainbow colored homing birds sailed through the air, streaks of blue colored fists smashed against the walls, pink and blue rats forming into existence, screaming at one another before scurrying throughout the bedroom, their tiny panicked screams filling the house.

"Stop, STOP!" Nova rose to her feet, trying to calm the frightened animals "STOP! EVERYTHING IS FINE!"

The rats stopped at once, staring at the magical princess with blank, expressionless eyes before angrily chattering to themselves about how rude it was to suddenly be pulled into some random girl's room, that people could be so inconsiderate with their magical spell casting.

Nova stared, confused as the rats fell into a single file line, throwing her dirty looks as they march their way to a nearby mouse hole, shaking their heads disappointingly while they disappeared from sight.

"Those mice did not like you, did they Nova?"

Nova turned and found the indexical being Glossaryck hovering near her, rising one hand in greeting while the other held a tiny spoon, shoveling the contents of a floating cup into Glossaryck's waiting maw.

Nova let out irritated sigh, not bothering to hide her annoyance with the six fingered tutor "Glossy they were rats and what are you doing out of the book?"

"MY NAME IS GLOSSARYCK!" He shouted with unnecessary trill "AND I AM EATING PUDDING!"

"Huh, I didn't know they made pudding cups that size."

"Theeeeey don't" Glossaryck tossed the now empty container over his shoulder "Your mother made them for me and since you are now in charge of the wand, gimme!"

Nova placed her hands on hips disapprovingly, shaking her head at Glossaryck "You know you're supposed to be my tutor but I haven't seen you all week! What gives?"

Glossaryck opened his mouth to respond when he felt the prodding of Nova's finger press against his shoulder "Hey!" Glossaryck frowned as Nova kept poking his shoulder, over and over again as if the gesture would get some sort of answer out of it "Hey, stop that, stop that!"

"Stop that" Nova mocked, moving her head and back forth in an exaggerated motion.

"Stop! I am a magical tutor and this is behavior is unbecoming of..."

"I'm a magical tutor and blah blah blah blah pudding!"

"You leave pudding out of this!"

"Then answer my question" Nova replied with a hint of finality "Where were you this week? I really needed help with the wand! You know all powerful object bestowed upon the next heir of Mewni!"

"Oh..." Glossaryck shrugged casually "I went to the index convention in Vegas."

"Vegas?"

"Ah ah ah! That's place only for adults and ancient beings to know about. It is certainly not something a young princess such as yourself should be aware of."

Nova stared at Glossaryck deadpanned "Glossaryck I know about..."

"Ah ah ah! We are done with that. Now what is your question?"

"Well I was wondering about this spell I read..." Nova began before trailing off, a strange thought occurred to her.

Nova glanced around, searching for something in particular. Some sort of sign or clue as to the mystery that plagued her mind.

"Wait a second, how did I end up in my room? And in my pjs? I remember falling asleep next to Connor and..."

"Oh, that was me" Glossaryck confessed, looking down at his fingernails at nonexistent dirt.

"You!? But I..don't...wha?"

Glossaryck let out a cheerful, joking laugh "Of course I didn't. I'm your tutor, not your babysitter. You did it yourself. You finally loosened your bear hug grip on him, mutter the change spell, switch both of you into pjs and walked up the stairs."

"I did? But...but I don't remember..."

"Your mother did the same thing. You Butterfly's like to sleepwalk when in high stressed situations. Star sleepwalked to fight off some sort of elephant goblin princess who wanted to steal her face around your age."

Nova felt the sting of disappointment and failure as Glossaryck finished his sentence. Her wonderful mother once again showing her mastery with the wand. While Nova was changing clothes, she was fighting off an elephant goblin princess. Probably with the grace and elegance of a true Butterfly, effortlessly defeating her foe...

Glossaryck noticed the shift in Nova's behavior, the slightly annoyed princess becoming deathly silent and forlorn "Nova? Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"because I'm an ancient deity, not your blind as a bat boyfriend."

Nova flushed at the implication Glossaryck was making and scoffed at the idea at once.

"Connor is not my boyfriend" Nova looked up thoughtfully "he's a boy and a friend but he's not the two words together and..."

"Who said anything about Connor?" Glossaryck gave her a cheeky smile.

Nova pouted, reaching for the spell book and dropping it on her magical tutor without a moment of hesitation.

"YOU CAN'T PRETEND FOREVER NOVA! I PAIRED YOUR PARENTS, I CAN PAIR YOU!" Glossaryck cried out after prying his lips from underneath the magical time, his finger pointing nowhere near her.

"Not pretending!" Nova called back, eyes closed as she made her way into the hallway "because there's nothing to pair!"

Nova shook her head in disbelief before opening her eyes in time to see herself collide with a solid wall of black and white with enough mass to send the princess stumbling backwards.

Nova rubbed her now dully aching nose as she took in the sight of two burly men who towered over her, their black and whites suits well pressed and clean, their strange use of shades indoors and earpieces confusing her.

"...Hi" Nova waved awkwardly "So I'm trying to get down to the kitchen so I can eat and not die of starvation. Mind moving out of my way?"

"You are not authorized to pass this way miss."

Nova stared at the pair of guards in irritation "...I'm not authorized to go to my own kitchen? Says who?"

"the secret service."

"Oh!" Nova's peeved scowl melted into a genuine smile "Uncle Ferguson's here!"

"Indeed Miss Butterfly."

Nova cheerfully walked towards the guards, fully expecting them to move only to find a face full of muscle mass still in her way "Umm...you can move now."

"I told you, you are not authorized to pass this way."

"BY WHO?!" Nova stomped her foot angrily.

The two deadly seriously guards began chuckling, snorting and struggling to breath as Sol appeared behind them, mischievously grinning towards his older sister.

"Sooool" Nova growled as the young boy gave the two secret service members high fives, joining in their teasing laughter.

"Sorry Miss Butterfly. He put on the cutest puppy pout, we couldn't resist having fun. Go on through."

Nova fumed, sliding her way past the still chuckling trio of troublemakers and down the staircase.

"ugh, I can't believe Sol...and those secret service guys? They're supposed to be professional" Nova murmured under her breath before pursing her lips in thought "actually since they work for uncle Ferguson, the whole professional thing might not be too accurate anymore."

"You're telling me about unprofessional."

Nova looked up as she reach the bottom floor, trying to contain the smile and snicker that threatened to spill onto her face as she spotted Connor with an unamused look on his face, two burly secret service hovering over the young inventor, arms crossed and smiles barely held back as they held Connor in place.

Nova tried to hide her giggle behind her hand but Connor caught it all the same "How long have you been up four eyes?"

"about 20 seconds..." Connor replied in the most neutral face he could muster "A little help?"

Nova couldn't help but grin cockily at the cornered Connor, stroking her chin in deep thought "I don't know, I kinda like the idea knowing where you are at all times. It makes it easy to make sure you're not trying to shamelessly flirt with Missy."

"Ha...funny princess or did you forget I spend like 90% of time with you? I even slept over yesterday."

"no four eyes" Nova answered gently, her grin becoming a full smile "You don't have to remind me but still, Uncle Ferguson does owe me a favor."

Connor smirked smugly at his best friend "Really? Because he owes me 3."

"3!?" Nova yelled, unable to believe such a claim "and what did you do that warranted that many favors?!"

"COOOOONOR!" Ferguson's whiny, immature voice called from the kitchen "Can you unlock my phone again?"

Connor brightly at at Nova who stuck her tongue out in response before calling out to her uncle "Hey uncle Ferg, why don't I unlock for you?"

"because..." Ferguson simply stated.

There was frustrated shriek and a moment later, a sleek black phone came sailing through the air, landing on the couch with a muted plop and knife plunged deeply into its surface though it was still functional.

"I also need a screen change...Star tried to help me unlock it..."

* * *

Nova sat happily between her uncle and her mother as Connor stayed in the living room, intently fixing the screen with his spare toolkit he kept in the Diaz household.

Nova beamed proudly at the sight of the two burly secret service men marveling in amazement at how masterful Connor repaired the device, replacing damaged circuitry and smoothing out the broken glass.

Ferguson and Star shared a knowing look, trying their hardest not to gush at the distracted Nova's face.

"Sorry about your phone." Star sheepishly apologized "I'm still getting used to Earth magic. But hey, at least Connie's here to fix it! YAY!"

"Haha it's okay Star. With Connor here, it'll be better than new."

Nova caught the last part of Ferguson's sentence, causing her to turn quizzically to the two adults "Wait, you didn't get mom to break your phone to get Connor to fix it?"

An awkward pause

"So Nova, what are we doing today?" Ferguson cut off the line of question from the princess.

"Well I think we're going to the movies and...wait we? We as in we? as in..."

"Yep! I decided to hang out with you kids today. It's not ever day I get to hang out with my goddaughter."

"Oh awesome! Wait...where's Auntie Cassie?"

Ferguson turned a bright pink, scratching the back of his orange, well kept hair "Nova, she's not your aunt. She's the head of my protective detail."

"Yeah yeah, sure Uncle Ferguson. Where is she anyway?"

"She's out with your father, something about needing a break from Ferggy here."

Ferguson pouted childishly, mumbling under his breath "I am not a child. I am the president! No one needs a break from me."

"Poor Auntie Cassie."

"Heeey, what about me?" Ferguson whined loudly "She always ruining my chances with the ladies."

Silence was their Butterflys response.

"Soooo anyway, I just thought of something. As cool as it would be to hang out with uncle Ferg, I don't know about buying tickets for his entire guard."

"Don't worry the secret service isn't going with you." Star gave Nova a cheerful smile.

"Why?" Nova asked slowly, eying her mother carefully.

"Easy! I got the princess of Mewni protecting me with an all powerful wand. I'd say I'm more than good."

Nova nervously gulped, the realization why no secret service men would accompanying her slowly dawning.

"Whoa, minute a wait, I mean A wait minute, I mean I'm..." Nova's anxiety spilled out of her mouth, the words tumbling and falling wildly out of place.

Nova stared up at her mother as Star placed a soft hand upon her shoulder, gently squeezing to catch her daughter's attention.

"Are more than capable Novy. You got this. Never assume you don't"

Nova could feel her racing heart slow to a peaceful pace as her mother tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Right mommy...I got this"

Star nodded in agreement, gently patting Nova's head lovingly. "Besides, Connor will be with you."

Nova could feel her cheeks burn at that realization "Right..Cono...Four eyes can help me out if he isn't too distracted."

"Wha?" Connor called from the living room "I heard my nickname."

"get over here, we're going to the movies with uncle Ferg!"

"How? I don't have extra clothes!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!"

"How, magic?" Connor sarcastically shot back before his face broke into realization " ….. _oh._ Right..."

* * *

Nova scanned the crowded lines of the movie theater, eyes narrowed in focus to catch any possible threat approaching her uncle. She felt gross: Her palms were sweaty, the wand held with too much anticipation, the crowd of people were far too close for her liking and HER UNCLE HAD TO GREET EVERY PERSON EVERY SECOND!

"Hey there" Ferg winked towards a group of 20 something women, throwing him flirtatious winks while he placed a hand on his chest with pride "I'm Ferguson, You might've heard of me? I'm the president of the United States, help open dimensional trade and travel between Earth and Mewni and voted most interesting world leader 5 years in a row. Normally I'm wearing my opossum outfit but I decided to suit up just for you Echo Creek laaaadies."

"...he's flirting..." Nova looked at her uncle incredulously "He's the leader of a world power...and he's shamelessly flirting..."

Connor shrugged next to her "The world and Mewni love your uncle. I mean the lowered the age limit on presidential candidates just so he could run. And man did he win."

"but but...but..." Nova weakly gestured with her hands "DOES HE KNOW HOW MUCH DANGER HE'S IN?! THERE COULD BE ASSASSINS ANYWHERE! THEY COULD BE A MAD PROTESTER WHOSE PLANNING ON COVERING HIM WITH ANIMAL BLOOD OR SOMETHING! LUDO COULD ATTACK! I...I..."

"Don't worry, he's got you and he's been around your mother long enough to know how to avoid dangerous situations. He did go to school with her." Connor answered matter of fact, crossing his arms as he glanced down at his new shirt given to him by Nova's wand along with a perfect replica of his khakis

The wand had a wicked sense of humor: His t-shirt was his preferred black with an image of the wand's star and wings outstretched in the center as if marking him and reminding him the wand did this for him with chibi Connor and chibi Nova holding up peace signs on either side.

Nova wore her usual attire (Since she was home and could simply go upstairs and change without the use of the wand) but maybe for some sort of solidity, or maybe she really wanted to change her outfit up, she altered her mother's devil horns into angelic halo band for the outing.

"That halo is a lie" Connor mumbled under his breath.

Nova turned to him, giving him a warm smile "Oh come four eyes, you like my halo and you know it."

Connor could feel his heart beat wildly as Nova inched closer, playfully nudging him while still aiming that adorable smile his way.

Connor coughed loudly, adjusting his glasses for an excuse to look away.

"Besides, I guess you're right" Nova took a deep relaxing breath "Uncle Ferg is like the most beloved politician ever. If people are willing to vote for him even wearing that silly opossum suit, I guess there's no way anyone would want to hurt him."

"You know you should keep a better eye on your brother." Jack approached the pair of best friends, motioning to the littlest Diaz waving cheerfully to a nearby pair of teenage girls who cooed loudly at his adorable presence "He does not make it easy to talk to people."

"You just need to work on your people skills Jackie." Sol cutely told the teen, patting his cheeks before skipping his way over to his big sister.

"Don't call me Jackie..." Jack muttered under his breath.

"Oh my god, SOL! I told you not to run off!" Nova placed her hands on her hips "I'm scared enough watching uncle Ferguson and with you here, it's twice the..."

"Your uncle's gone Nova" Connor tugged on the princess's hoodie sleeve

"What?! WHERE DID HE GO?!" Nova cried outloud, clutching at her hair fearfully, eyes darting around madly. If anything happened to him or if he got a girlfriend during this little trip, Auntie Cass would never forgive her!

"Telling by the giant crowd of people, he's in the actual theater." Connor pointed out the sea of people surrounding a lone figure in its center.

"UNCLE FERG!" Nova shrilled loudly, grabbing Sol's hand tightly as she raced into the building.

"Don't worry!" Connor motioned to the cashier "I got them."

"Wow...your girlfriend's high strung today." Jack calmly said as he propped his elbow against Connor's shoulder

"She's not my girlfriend and she's watching her uncle, you know the president of the country we live in?"

"I didn't vote for him" Jack replied

"We couldn't vote."

"I think he's a real inspiration for all people looking to go into politics" Missy came in with a bright smile wearing her trademark summer dress and short blonde hair with red streaks., her pale blue eyes content and joyful.

"M-Missy" Connor croaked, her surprise appearance causing the flustered teen to let his wallet slip out of his hand.

"Hey Missy" Jack greeted, playing with Connor's wallet between his hands "Same outfit? We must get a bigger animation budget."

"Agreed" Missy grinned smugly "Your collared shirt vest bowtie combo doesn't have the same wow as it once did."

"Touche Miss Thomas" Jack bowed respectfully while shoving Connor's wallet into his hands

"So what are you doing here Missy?" Connor asked nervously, dipping into his wallet to pay for the tickets.

Connor frowned. 1, 2, 3, 4 twenty dollar bills but Connor would've sworn he had...

Connor glared at Jack who shamelessly flaunted the stolen money while shooting the cashier a wink.

"Sorry buddy" Jack told Connor without his attention ever shifting away from the blushing cashier "Finders fee."

Nova pouted, crossing her arms with equal parts jealously and anxiety as Missy let an adorably girly giggle at the mortified Connor with Jack nearby nudging playfully at his best friend's side, his free hand subtly motioning for nova to intervene in the light flirting the young magician was forced to endure while waiting in line for snacks.

Nova wanted to interfere, to pull Connor away from Missy and draw all his attention onto her but there was one slight problem: Embarrassingly shy Connor was too damn adorable.

"Wow" Ferguson said from the side, happily chewing a handfuls of popcorn "You are really jealous. Like insanely jealous. You're doing that thing with your forehead that your mom does when she's jealous."

"Uncle Ferg! " Nova let out a childish whine "I'm not jealous….I'm just angrily throwing daggers into my best friend's head for no reason..."

"What i hear is you're jealllllous" Ferguson replied in a sing songy tone, offering Sol the tub of the salty snack.

"Nova gets jealous a lot" Sol cheerfully chimed, lifting the entire bucket and shoving a large wave of the popped corn into his hungry maw.

"I am not jealous. To be jealous there must be feelings for the person currently unashamedly flirting with the girl he has a crush on. I do not have those feelings. Those feelings are nonexistent and thus there's no need to be jealous."

Sol and Ferguson stared at each other before calling out "JEALOUS!'

Nova rolled her eyes as Jack, Missy and Connor came over, happily chatting like the school aged teenagers they were.

"You did not!" Missy let out an unlady snort, turning a bright red while sheepishly staring Connor who gave her a reassuring smile.

"Totally and let me tell you" Jack went on with his story "Do not mix a flaming chainsaw and a wooden box. Not the best idea."

"Come on Connie!" Sol pouted in the most endearing way possible, grabbing Connor's hand and pulling him away from Missy "I want to see the movie! Come on, come on, come on!"

Connor chuckled, shaking his head at Sol's antics as the young prince turned only to become still "Sol?"

Nova frowned at Sol's sudden change in behavior, wondering what in the world could silence her brother and how she could she learn from it "Sol? Come on brat, what's up?"

Sol narrowed his eyes in pure hatred, a look never seen before as he closed his tiny hands into little fists, shaking furiously as he murmured quietly "Toby..."

Nova traced her brother's line of sight, finally adding a face to her brother's long standing rival.

Nova wasn't really seeing anyone Sol's age, at least first: There was a teen tucked away in the corner wearing a matching blue hoodie to Nova's red being anti-social, a gaggle of teenager girls shooting interested looks towards Jack and Connor, some jocks excitedly boasting about their victory of a rival team (given how they were flexing, Nova could only guess they were jocks but it was a good guess.) No one that looked like the cute adorable rival to Sol.

Wait, there was a little kid around Sol's age, strolling out of a nearby room with his own older sister that looked about 14 years old

Nova shared Sol's frown, unable to pry her eyes away from the Wong siblings.

Much to everyone's surprise (especially Marco) local rich girl and overall horrible person, Brittney Wong not only managed to convince (or bribe) someone to marry her but also have not 1 but 2 children though the husband left shortly after Toby's birth and Brittney was forced to wed the only other person who would have her. Or rather her money and power: Jeremy Birnbaum.

There was no love in that relationship, only business and maintaining power and it reflected in both of the Wong children.

Toby Wong was nearly as adorable as Sol but far less good nature. Cruel, egotistic and believing himself above everyone, Toby Wong wasn't afraid to bully, charm and buy his way to any goal he set. His hair was his mother's jet black though he kept it short as it was easier to gel, his preferred way to maintain his appearance with stormy gray eyes that shone with a seemingly permanent smugness.

Tiffany Wong wasn't much better: She too her had her mother's long, flowing elegant black hair and brown eye color and while Toby went out of his way to gain the attention of those he wished to exploit, Tiffany acknowledged no one beneath her. She never made eye contact with anyone, spoke to anyone or even responded to anyone's questions or attempts to talk to the young girl.

Nova hadn't seen much of Tiffany given she was home schooled but the few attempts at making peace with the female Wong were met with disastrous results. Each and every time, Tiffany simply never answered and always walked away without communicating to Nova.

While Star was certain they were on great terms with the Wongs, Marco, Nova and Sol knew better: The Wongs hated the Diaz's and 3/4ths of the Diaz's greatly disliked the Wongs, despite Star's hopeful reservations.

Nova heard Sol growl viciously, their mother's poor impulse control shining through the young boy in spades. As much as Nova would love to teach the Wong siblings a lesson about being polite and decent human beings, she knew she couldn't. Star, not Marco, would punish the two severely and more likely than not, Rocky would be dispensing the sentence.

Nova shivered. No...no it wasn't worth a Rocky punishment.

Nova whistled, catching Connor's attention. Nova motioned between the theater and Sol, telling him it was time to go before Sol decided to confront Toby. The normally levelheaded prince seemed inching for a fight.

Connor tugged at Sol's hand, half leading and half dragging Sol towards their movie, most of the crew following closely behind except for one.

Jack stood there in the hallway, a strange feeling washing over him. He glanced around the slowly emptying movie theater, the crowds thinning as the movies began to play. There was something familiar in the air, something Jack recognized but was having trouble recalling what exactly it was.

"Jack!" Missy's voice called "Come on!"

Jack snapped out of his stupor, cheerfully waving to Missy.

Whatever it was it was gone now but Jack had a feeling that he couldn't shake the familiarity of it...

Jack shrugged. The trail went cold, no point to try to chase it down. It would resurface if it was important, sooner or later.

* * *

Nova stifled a chuckle as Missy and Sol clapped excitedly at Jack's newest trick. Jack used the now empty tub of popcorn, poking a hole in the bottom and showing the pair that there was indeed an opening then proceeded to pour Sol's large soda into the container much to the dismay of the prince who quickly pulled the container back and check it's contents only to find corn kernels floating above the murky surface of the liquid.

The look on Sol's face was priceless as he quickly lifted the bucket and noticed the hole was still present.

At once, Sol cast a suspicious glance at Nova who raised her hands in defense, showing Sol that she wasn't helping Jack in any way.

Sol let out an elated cheer, handing the tub back to the patient magician who rolled up his sleeve, dipping his exposed hand into the murky soda, slowly slipping the rest of his arm deeper and deeper into the tub much to the surprise and awe of Missy and Sol.

Jack held a finger as he seemingly struggled with something in the bowls of the tub and with a mighty tug, pulled out a sealed bottle of soda, handing it to Sol before tossing the now empty, dry popcorn bucket away.

Nova heard the room burst out in applause causing Jack to bow humbly and wave to his adoring fans.

"Hee, that's Janna's kid alright."

Nova turned to her uncle, a bright grin on his face.

"Hey Uncle Ferg, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Novy."

"Uncle Ferg...what was my mom like when she was my age?"

Ferguson paused for a moment before playfully ruffling his goddaughter's hair "Why don't you stop looking for ways to emulate your mom and just be the teenager princess you are?"

"Uncle Ferguson, how...?"

"I'm your godfather Novy. I may not be the smartest guy in town, that's your old man, but I know quite a few things about my goddaughter."

"Hee I remember seeing you all the time growing up, then you become president! That was like 7 years ago huh?"

Ferguson nodded cheerfully "Crazy isn't it? 7 years of being president."

"Must've be a dream come true." Nova whispered as the theater grew dark.

"Actually, it wasn't."

Nova stared at her uncle curiously, wondering how being the most popular president in all American history was not a dream come true.

Ferguson smiled at Nova "If you told me when I was your age I was going to president, I would've scoffed at you and told you 'of course, I'm the Ferg' Now if you told me when I was 20 I'd be the president, I would've still said 'of course, the Ferg achieves greatness always.' when you ask me after my 2nd term is done and I retire, I'll tell you I have no idea what to do now that I'm out of a job."

"I don't..."

"I always thought I'd be destined for greatness. Heck I nearly married Lilly the pixie queen at your age because my ego was so big, not that's shrunk that much in the last 20 years."

Nova and Ferguson shared a laugh and were quickly shushed by the enthralled movie goers.

"But president? I never thought that was a fun job, a job where I achieve my legacy. Most people hate their president and blame them for everything that went wrong even though in the U.S system there's 3 branches designed to keep the power in check and it isn't just their fault. Let's add the fact I was more of joker than a student and that was one dream I never dreamt of."

"And now?"

"Now I realize I was right. And wrong. The president is not a fun job, not even close to one but it is an important one. Every choice I make is for the betterment of my people, the people who chose the goofy clown who never held a government job in his life. And people used that against me. Luckily your dad gave me a hand, teaching me the ins and outs of a class I purposely failed because I was only there to flirt with the cute girl in the back of the class. I was the longest shot but they chose me and filled me with something I had never known before: Responsibility. And while I still flirt with every cute girl I see, the president does need a first lady after all and am a giant goofyball, I realize my life didn't turn out how I hoped or imagined and that was for the best."

Ferguson leaned in close "My advice to you kid? Don't plan _everything_ in your life out even if one day you're going to be the Queen of Mewni. You never know what's going to happen and you don't need to be planning for every moment oooor obstacle" Ferguson pointed to Missy who was sandwiched comfortably Sol and Jack, not trying to get Connor's attention but rather sitting comfortably with friends, enjoying the outing rather than trying to beat her romantic rival.

Connor turned to away from screen, noticing Nova's wandering gaze and giving her a small smile and friendly wave before returning to the previews at hand.

Nova flushed, looking downward at her shoes in embarrassment, caught off guard by a sudden Connor appearing

"Don't plot your life, live it kid. And whatever you do, don't make a 23 step plan."

Nova laughed "You mean like dad? Haha I heard he had one for Jackie back when he had a crush on her and then when they were dating, one for asking my mom to marry him."

"Haha oh yeah, I remember slipping that to her before their 3rd anniversary. Man did your dad freak out when River paid him a personal visit about marrying his little girl."

"I heard grandpa really scared him good that he fainted and was late for his date with mom."

"He didn't faint" Ferguson told Nova, taking on Marco's speech and mannerisms "I just took a forced manly nap! I was tired! It was hot! I didn't get much sleep!"

Ferguson and Nova burst out chuckling only to be shushed once more but this time Ferguson laid cozily in his seat and Nova followed suit.

"Just remember Nova, you got a long time. Don't be afraid to steer off the beaten path once in a while."

* * *

It was late when Nova and Ferguson returned to the Diaz household to a panicked pacing Marco, a bubbly Star cleaning the walls with a sponge attached to Mr. Spatula and Ferguson's security service detail sitting around the dining room table, playing cards.

"There you are!" Marco's voice cracked before he coughed loudly, clearing his throat and adopting his stern dad voice "I mean, where were you two?"

Nova shifted guilty, having forgot to text her father that uncle Ferguson had taken the group of children to the famous Disneyland theme park (Via minor abuse of his power) It totally slipped her mind to update her father on the change of plans.

"Sorry dad. I..."

"Marco, Marco, Marco" Ferguson wrapped his arm playfully his best friend's neck "Relax, I wanted to look at some old sights and since Nova was my bodyguard, she accompanied me to them as per her duty in protecting me."

Marco frowned, opening his mouth to argue before Star cut in, bouncing over happily and wrapping Nova in a hug

"Yaaaay! I knew you could do it. Oh, oh did you blast any assassins?"

"Umm mom..."

"Star."

"Stop any dastardly plots against Ferguson?"

"MOM!"

"Star!"

"OH Did you help him get a date?"

"MOM!"

"STAAAAAR!"  
"OH COME ON I DON'T NEED HELP GETTING A DATE!"

Nova gave her mother a quick hug before pulling away, waving her hands as she slowly climbed the staircase "nothing like that happened, everything was great! Now stop it mom, we have guests and I'm dead tired. Night!"

"Night Novy!" Star waved happily to the retreating princess "I'll tuck you in soon!"

"MOM!" Nova hurried up the steps.


	9. Ferguson, why are really you here?

Star and Marco beamed happily as their daughter made her way upstairs, the two parents maintaining the joyful facade until the sound of Nova's door closing could heard throughout the house.

The pair turned to Ferguson who let out a sigh of relief. Cassie appeared from the shadows as the rest of the secret service filed outside, their positions not meeting the proper security clearance for the following meeting.

The gray eyed head of the service let out a sigh, running her fingers through her short blonde hair in an attempt to calm herself down.

"How'd she do Cassie?" Ferguson asked as he stretched his tense body.

"She did good. With a little more patience and calm, she'll be an excellent bodyguard. Though I'm not sure I'd pair her with Connor. While he keeps her focused, he also likes to accidentally distract her as well."

"You know you didn't have to take your day off to watch over me Cass."

"Nonsense" Cassie turn her nose at the idea "I was in town, wanted to see a movie. Go to a theme park. The fact you were there was completely irrelevant"

Ferguson shot the taller woman a smirk

"As great as it was to see you again Ferguson, we know you didn't just drop by for a visit" Marco started solemnly, interrupting the playful banter.

Ferguson nodded in agreement with a rare and out of place mature look upon his face "Sorry Marco. I mean I miss you guys but being president is my job now."

"Thank you for that Ferguson" Star humbly told her good friend.

"At least it is my presidential duty to check up on the first family of Mewni. Got to use that excuse more often." Ferguson grinned happily.

"Agreed." Star and Marco grinned.

Cassie frowned as she coughed loudly, breaking up the jovial moment. She wish she could let them be but Ferguson and herself must depart soon and the Diaz's needed to know about what was so important that the president of the United States himself would travel across the country to visit them unexpectantly.

Ferguson grinned sympathetically towards his head of security "I know Cassie, thank you for reminding me."

Cassie moved forward, gingerly placing a briefcase onto the coffee table's surface. Cassie slowly opened the container, carefully reaching in and pulling out some sort of faded sheet of paper in a ziplock bag from within.

Star and Marco shared a look, unsure why a piece of paper would be alarm enough o have Ferguson come in person.

"Wait for it." Ferguson explained as Cassie handed the item to Starco.

Marco didn't recognize what he was seeing: The paper was a faded yellowish white, probably due to constant exposure to some sort of weather. On its surface were five purple, elegant lines that stretched across from one side to another with different symbols written randomly on and in between each line: fat ovals, filled in and empty circles, sometimes with some sort of cursive tail with one, two, even a third fin on its line in a manner far more sophisticated than any human writing. Each symbol seemed to be dancing up and down the line. It almost looked like...

Star gasped, staring at Ferguson with equal parts fear and confusion "Ferguson, this is from Mewni."

"Wait what?" Marco glanced downwards at the paper once more, unsure where exactly Star was getting its origin from.

Ferguson gave a slight tip of his head "Indeed. In your hand is a piece of sheet music from Mewni."

"That's impressive and all" Marco cut in "But this isn't exactly news. Ever since travel between Earth and Mewni became official, Mewnian items having behind found everywhere, I'm not sure what..."

"Marco" Cassie interrupted softly "This was found at Point Zero."

Marco and Star felt their blood chill, an unsettling feeling of dread filling every fiber of their being.

Marco and Star looked to Ferguson for some sort of explanation

"As you know we set up a constant patrol and watch over Point Zero. It is where we..." everyone present gave a slight shiver at the mention of the location. Ferguson took a deep breath and continued "1 week ago, we found this in one of the...craters. Our research team was able to identify its Mewni origins and we kinda pieced together it was a sheet of music but we're still having trouble putting together certain aspects of Mewni culture and since I have two best friends with ties to Mewni and one of them is the ruling queen of Mewni, I figured I'd bring it to you. Getting to see you was just a bonus."

Star glanced downwards, fully concentrating on the sheet of music before her.

"Well" Cassie asked, uncharacteristically impatient "anything?"

"This...it's an old lullaby" Star answered, running fingers across the bag "My mother used to sing it to me when I was young..."

it was Ferguson and Cassie's turn to share a look "A lullaby? That's it? Well what's it about?"

Star closed her eyes, muttering her breath, recalling memories from so far ago while translating the song into English.

"The summer has ended..." Star sang softly "And fall will be gone. You shall remain as Winter comes. Swords and arrows soon shall fade, the year reborn as winter ends..."

* * *

The two figures made their way through the decaying walls of the old temple, the once proud, well crafted stone walls now slowly crumbling away from the ravages of time, chunks of mortar and rock missing here and there on its surface.

The normally silent air was filled with a deep thum that vibrated directly into the pair's very soul, the sounds of the out of tune piano growing louder as they drew closer to their goal.

" _I may stay or I may go, where to not even I know."_ A deep, melodic voice called from the shifting shadows _"but I will return when the sparks start to glow. Filling the sky with peace and war. I will return when the magic ceases to flow. I will return to you this we know."_

The two reached the impossibly huge room, a circular throne room with cracked tiles and decaying banners of Mewni slowly being ripped to shreds. At the center of the room where the throne would normally be was instead a piano with massively large, tall pipes that nearly touched the ceiling above.

The figure hunched over was draped in a long, tattered black cloak, his skeletal hands floating across the keys effortlessly as his words became a hum.

The two figures coughed awkwardly, bringing a halt to the wonderful melody.

The figure turned to them, a single piercing blue eye watching them carefully.

"Hello m'lord" the male bowed respectfully.

"Hey Boss man, you really got to put in a portal here or something" The female complained.

The figure chuckled, a soft, warm feeling filling the room.

"I have not see you in countless years, why do you return now?"

"Easy" The male answered "it is time."

The figure's blue eye searched the pair, disbelief filling his gaze

"Already? The wand has passed from mother to child 50 generations? It seems like yesterday Astrid created the object..."

"yeah" The female muttered quietly with a tone that could only be spoken with an eyeroll "And now her great, great, lots of great grand daughter now possesses the wand."

"Who?"

"Nova Butterfly"

"Nova..." The hunched figure whispered, his skeletal fingers drumming excitedly on the piano surface "Daughter of Star Butterfly...granddaughter of Moon...great granddaughter of...

"yes yes we know" The female cut in impatiently "The thing is now what do we do?"

"We wait...it is not yet time..." The figure muttered in a raspy whisper.

The female scoffed "Why? You waited so long? The 50th , whatever, Butterfly has the wand, why are you waiting some more?!"

The figure rose to full height, his eye focused skyward to the crescent moon waning in the sky.

"She may not have the wand for long. I sense...a shadowy presence. A dark web weaves itself around Nova and if she falls prey to it, I will not waste my time with her...she was not the Butterfly I have waited for."

"are you going to warn her of the plot m'lord?" the male asked curiously.

The figure sat back down, fingers absentmindedly hovering over the keys

"No...life offers no warnings nor shall I. We shall see if Nova survives...if Nova is the Butterfly I have waited for..."


	10. NorMaaaaaaLcY

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here, wishing you all an amazing week and thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. They make me so happy and i am glad to have your support it means so much to me. seriously without you all, i wouldn't be much of a writer.

a special thanks to finn: very interesting and it just gets worse from here.

Narrator Nymph- haha i did say there was a chance, the summary was a bit of a clue. haha all robots in the future has wiif and i think connor would be happy if you take him. just watch out for his murderous habits. Ferguson really grew up. haha yeah not everyone changes per chapter except Nova and Star, our leads. haha the build begins. and of course covy

Krissdom- we might say, a little weird. haha i shall try!

Jayanna- Jack has really been stealing the show since he's been introduced. haha i wonder how large his fanclub cuz i know a lot of people love him. no worries, these stories aren't going anywhere and i don't know...is he? bwahha

that guy- there was always a story planned, i just pulled back the curtain a bit. I can't just give you the whole show right off the bat!

Anoymims- yikes indeed and those big leaguers have been waiting for Nova. Hope she can handle it huh? thank you so much! I just wanted to give you some extra exposure, that chapter was beautiful and so is the rest of your work :)

SonicElite- super spoopy! SPOOOOOPY! haha i have no idea but i would love to hear your theories if anyone has them. thank you and it is entirely possible it was lacking abit. it does happen though it might be the lack of super syrupy covy haha maybe. Jack appreciates your broness and grants you the same bro title! stay awesome bro!

Heroaedrianmontila- Toby likes to look down at Sol and try to take his cuteness title. Sol ain't having that. and what did Jack feel and why? Tiff was there with them...hmm. Why is it sheet music and why is it an old lullaby hmm? who indeed and sorry i can't tell you. yet. Yes you are right, she is from my first fanfiction and if i miss you was my first fic! yay! you remembered! yeah this is the futures au or novy us now since futures au is now noncanon. weird to type that. hope you enjoy the chapter!

Marionettej2x- haha its time deth though i think you gave a lot of clues already haha whoa whoa wait we could've just taken the staaaaaairs *disappears through portal

Minitha- haha it started off that way but honestly i decided to take after Star and add in a nice subplot worthy of cartoons and anime! haha it was well planned and i had to lure you readers into a nice comfy floor before i revealed the shadowy figure. im really glad you enjoy the story it means the world to me! Well before there wasn't much to him, he was just Star's index. This new season he really has taken a forward approached in training Star but i knew i would have him here and there in nova because he is an important character in the verse. (There's a few but very few, i think people forgot about him he kinda showed up once in season 1.) i wrote a huge background for nova but i didnt think i used it but here we are and i knew i had to bring in Marco's rival and Star's friend who doesn't like her. how much we see of them is another story. I'm starting to understand why its hard for the show to give secondary character's screen time.

Guest sorta; surprise! plot twist *takes script and twists it* wow that was a bad idea.

guest: i have no idea, i just write and you awesome readers seem to like it. umm i guess interesting, flawed ocs with a good plot? Oh...umm...well that's the first...twist...so...yeah. haha thank you so much and woo covy!

Kittycat: indeed the plot begins well...we're starting so...umm sorry kitty

grim-haha Ferguson has grown up a lot but don't tell anyone, it ruins his ferguness and yep the new villains are ready to play. Hmm what is point zero, what does its name mean? no its the first time mentioned. no worries.

thefandom-lover- sorry but covy in doses, you might have a really bad sugar rush though honestly there was some light covy in there. like starco, dosage varies and sometimes needs to be a liiiight or you might be addicted dont worry ill make it up to you!

thedarkflame- haha thank you so much i am so happy you enjoy the futures au before it became this nova vs au and Im glad i caught you off guard. no fun if you see the surprise coming. haha don't worry i got a lot of things plan and even i know sometimes best friends don't always agree or get along. i just wanted to set up the world and plot first. I know exactly what you mean. thank you so much and i remember! wasn't 100% but i took a good guess with your screen name. well i hope i can keep up the quality you expect from me.

princessx-gilex- thank you for your reviews and i hope you are doing good (HUGS!)

Queen of shipping: haha agreed. You got it Nova and crew are totally going to wreck that dark force though dont let her hear about your secret crush. just saying

cartoonlover- haha indeed, who?

Seriously you readers are the best and as a special treat, this next arc is a collaboration between me and Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr who has been spoiling me so much with so much amazing, incredible nova vs artwork. seriously i owe her so much and she's the best. so when she told me she had this idea for a story arc, i had to write it. just as my little way of saying thank you to her because i pretty can only write and of course, the arc she created is great! so a special thanks to her for not only coming up with the following arc but also planning it for Nova. it really means the world to me as well as all the love you give to Nova and me and the artworks from really kind awesome people weather-art on tumblr and so many more. thank you all so much.

So enjoy the next chapter of Nova vs and our new arc, i own the ocs and nothing else and enjoy!

* * *

 _Monday_

"HURRY UP FOUR EYES!" Nova shouted at the top of her lungs, wildly flailing her arms as she raced into the school's courtyard, desperately searching for any sort of hiding spot from the incoming threat.

"NOVA JUST DON'T STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!" Connor yelled towards her, huffing up the few stairs that led towards Echo Creek Academy "DO SOMETHING!"

Nova whirled around on her heels, clutching the wand tightly as she saw the life sized bull pinata charging down the streets, its rainbow body dull as the different colored fabric flowed freely while it barreled it's way closer to the pair, steam pouring out of its nostrils with each angry breath.

"NOVA!" Connor cried, panting heavily as he inched closer to Nova.

"R-right!" Nova chirped, confidently raising the wand only for it to slip out of her hands.

Nova let a tiny eep out. She tried to reach for it with her free hand only to accidentally knock it away. Nova's arms windmilled themselves into action, steadying the princess and propelling her forward, each wild grasp at the wayward magical object simply sending it higher and higher into the sky until Nova managed to grab it by the very base of the hilt.

"Got it!" Nova cheered, beaming proudly at her success, looking up in time to see Connor race pass her at full speed, the pinata bull not too far behind.

Nova blinked in confusion, completely caught off guard by how quickly the bull closed the gap.

"umm..." Nova dumbly murmured as she felt something warm slip into her palm before she found herself being pulled backwards forcing her to twist her body to keep up.

"Well...bulls are dangerous. Good to know" Nova told herself, Connor pulling the pair along deeper onto the school ground.

"Why did you think riding a bull would be a good idea?" Connor scoffed, rolling his eyes as he slowed his speed a bit, bending his feet and squeezing Nova's hand.

"I need to practice my spell work four eyes, you know that, and what better way than getting a ride to school? You know that idea you mentioned last week" Nova countered, wrapping her arms around Connor's neck as he lifted her onto his back, giving the magical princess a piggyback ride in their mad escape.

"YOUR DAD! WE HAVE A RIDE WITH YOUR DAD! Where did you get the idea to make a bull?"

"Mom" Nova stated "She told me she used to have a pet bull when she first lived with dad and...ooooooh." Nova's eyes widened with realization. "Yeah I'm seeing where I went wrong."

"As much as I like your mom, you should really ask your dad for that type of advice."

"Yeeeeeah agreed but let's take care of this problem first right four eyes?" Nova beamed happily at Connor, playfully patting his cheek before turning backwards to see how far the bull was from them "Connor, CONNOR RUN FASTER!"

"I haven't heard that one before."

"What was that Four Eyes?!"

"I'm running as fast as I can Novy!" Connor replied as he skidded around the corner and nearly knocked Jack over "SORRY Jack. You might want to run buddy!"

Jack stared blankly at the retreating figure of Covy, the sound of hooves screeching loudly echoed down the halls.

"Well that's not foreboding at all. Not in the least." Jack told himself.

"Wait!" Nova patted Connor's shoulders to catch his attention "Wait, Four eyes. Stop stop! Turn us around."

Connor pulled the brakes on their run, sliding to a stop before nearly tumbling over from the shifting weight of Nova, his arms flapping out of control before he was able to steady himself.

"Phew..." Nova and Connor sighed in relief, looking at each other with matching grins before lightbulbs replaced Nova's hearts "Connor!"

"On it" Connor replied, quickly pivoting on his feet so the pair could face Jack.

"JACK!" Nova called "Do the thing!"

"The thing?" Jack questioned, raising an eyebrow at the pair.

"YES THE THING!" Nova groaned with annoyance "ugh the thing. With the red thingy..."

"Red thingy Novy?"

"You're not helping Connie!"

Jack was confused by Nova's request, unsure what red thing she was talking about "umm...this?"

Nova snarled furiously at the sight of Jack calmly plucking out a red rose from within his vest and gesturing with a smug look.

"UUUUGH NOT THAT JACK! The stupid cloth thing."

"Ooooh, she's talking about the handkerchief Jack!"

"Okay then." Jack reached into his pocket, pulling a long string of multi-colored cloths tied to one another, an impossible amount held in such a tiny space.

"Jack!" Nova called to the performer with a frenzied panic "STOP WITH THE STUPID TRICK AND FLICK IT BACKWARDS!"

"Hey! It's not stupid trick. Besides this is how it works, whoever heard of a magician doing a magic trick out of order?!"

Connor shook his head in disbelief "Then hurry it up!"

"I'm trying! I'm only human you know!" Jack shot back, frantically pulling out more and more of the cloth, a small mountain slowly piling at his feet with the bull closing the distance each passing second.

Connor and Nova could feel their hearts stop in unison as the bull appeared behind their distracted best friend.

"JACK!" Connor and Nova called out, reaching out for Jack but it was far too late: the bull charged forward without warning.

Jack let out a disapproving sigh, taking the end of the makeshift rope held together by dozens of tiny square cloths and tossed it dramatically backwards, not even glancing towards the bull.

With a flick of Jack's wrist, the rope cloth vanished into thin air only to be replaced by a large, blood red cape that fluttered through the air before landing carefully ontop of the bulls head, blinding it as it streaked down the hall.

Jack was perfectly calm as he twirled out of the way, pirouetting on the tips of his toes before snapping his fingers, striking a pose saved only for the most season flamenco dancers.

Nova and Connor stood there, still as stone with matching awestruck looks on their faces.

"Is it just me or was that like really...?" Nova began

"No, I got that thought too." Connor finished.

A sharp whistle shook them out of their dazed stupor.

"Yo Covy, focus!" Jack motioned to the still rampaging bull.

"What did he say?" Connor glanced upwards to his best friend "Connie or Novy?"

"Novy" Nova provided, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up "Come on Connor, let's finish this."

Connor felt like he was out of an inside joke what with Jack's cocky grin and Nova's oddly concentrated gaze.

Connor let out a sigh as Nova held her wand high, a blinding flash of blue light basking the hallway in its glow, fading away to show the wand replaced with a massive black and white war hammer.

"CHARGE!" Nova screamed at the top of her lungs, leaning forward and forcing Connor to do the same less he wanted to lose his balance.

The bull reared on its hind legs, front hooves flaunting wildly, the cape finally thrown off its head in time for it to see Nova launch herself in the air, throwing a peace sign towards her creation before smashing it under her massive hammer.

The world shook violently, sending everyone tumbling to the floor under the force of the weapon slammed against the ground.

Nova smirked brightly, triumphantly blowing a strain of loose hair out of her face, standing tall in victory as she willed the wand back to its regular form.

"I RULE!" Nova pumped her fist upwards only to wince in pain, gripping her legs quickly "Oww oww, cramp cramp"

Jack helped Connor to his feet, noticing dozens and dozens of candy smashed to fine powder across the paper skin of the bull.

Jack clicked his tongue in disappointment "Such a waste."

"The candy?" Connor questioned quizzically.

"No, the cape. All that sugary goodness? Going to be hell to get out."

Connor noticed the flattened cape super glued to the floor with an array of varying hues of candies, festive paper strips and fabric clinging to it for dear life.

"Oh...sorry"

Jack glared at Connor, peeling the fused construct off the floor and holding the disgusting mess as far away from his body as he could "next time, save your own girlfriend."

Connor flushed as Jack strolled away in irritation while Nova tried to loosen the cramp in her leg.

* * *

 _Tuesday_

"Roland Atherton?"

"Here!"

"Kim...Be...Be...ugh I'm not even going to try. KIM!"

"Present."

"Viktor Bul...Bul...the frog."

"..."

" Absent, Nova Butterfly?"

"Here!"

"Rebecca Crane?"

"Right here boss man!"

"Eric Clark?"

"Hi"

"Jack umm...?"

"..."

"Jack!

"Hmm yeah yeah here!"

"Ugh, Bernadette De...de...another one! Deth?"

"WOOOOO!"

"Susan..umm...yeah"

"H-here!

"Ezekiel Edwards?

"Si"

"Umm is that...never mind. Steven Kirkman"

"Yo!"

"Hains...mae?"

"mhm, here."

"Petunia Flowers."

"It's Penny! PENNY!"

"Matt Peterson?"

"here"

"Rick Richardson"

"...yeah"

"Connor Sinclair."

"here..."

"Missy Lynn Thomas?"

"Present!"

"okay that's everybody who decided to show up today and...umm Miss Butterfly?"

"Yes?"  
"Why is your desk on fire?"

"If I said it spontaneously combusted, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you believe me?"

"A 2 Miss Butterfly."

"Then Jack did it."

* * *

 _Wednesday_

"On your feet Four Eyes!" Nova stood in front of her fallen best friend as she swung her wand like a baseball bat towards approaching Spike Balls, launching a bright pink dodge ball that caught the gigantic monster under his chin and sent him reeling backwards, his flailing spike ball arms knocking the long necked giraffe and Bearicorn off their feet as he tried to steady himself.

Connor shook off his confusion, rising to his feet just in time to see the two headed red demon...er guy charge towards Nova's blind spot.

"Nova!" Connor cried, pushing the distracted princess forward in time to avoid the two headed monster's attack.

Nova whirled around from the sudden shove and gave Connor a wide smile with the traditional thumbs up once she saw what he had done, the two headed monster trapped in the middle of the best friends.

"Umm..." one of the heads muttered quietly, each head staring at Connor and Nova suspiciously "Are you two like dating?"

Connor and Nova blushed fiercely, Connor shifted his weight uncomfortably as Nova waved her hands defensively.

"No, no we're not dating" Nova replied with a whiny edge "We're just best friends!"

The two headed monster chuckled loudly "That's what your mother said."

Nova glared at the two headed monster before realize she had lowered her guard: The monster shoved the two away from one another, separating the team and preventing any further support from one another.

Connor stumbled backwards, tripping over the seat and falling flat ontop of the table's surface, the 2 head monster close behind, chuckling victoriously as he came closer to the helpless inventor.

"Heads up!" Someone called from just out of Connor's sight.

"hey!" One of the heads looked up angrily "We've got two..."

Crunch.

The sound of something breaking filled the air as a thick Algebra textbook connected with one of the heads, his eyes rattling while he slipped into unconsciousness, drooping and hanging freely as the remaining head tried to keep the new balance he had to deal with.

Connor glanced upwards to see Missy giving him encouraging smile, helping to him stand and slipping the textbook into his hand.

"Missy, I..."

"Not now Connie" Missy hushed Connor, lifting him to his feet, pointing to the struggling Nova caught in Bearicorn's furry hold, Ludo nearly tripping over his own feet to swipe the wand from the helpless princess, shouting at the top of his lungs "POWER! I NEED THE POWER AGAIN!"

"Remember" Missy muttered into Connor's ear, her breath tickling his neck and causing a red flush to travel down his face "Keep steady and aim for faces."

Connor could feel his heart stop when Missy wrapped her arms around his neck and gave it a friendly squeeze.

Connor broke free of Missy's grasp, swinging wild at the approaching monsters who attempted to stop him.

Swinging left with a nasty thud took out the Big Chicken who clucked weakly as he sunk to the floor.

The swing right sent Deer Beard crashing to the floor, dizzily muttering something about "theorems" and "Equations" before laying his head on the ground

Nova and Bearicorn stopped their struggle for freedom upon hearing the moaning of defeated monsters and took notice of the battlefield.

Connor slid under Three Eye Potato Baby who lunged midair to tackle the approaching teen but missed completely

the monster sailed through the air and fell back to Earth with the most graceful pose. Before his face smashed against the concrete school floor of course.

"Heads up!"

Bearicorn turned in time to see the thick textbook heading right towards him.

Bearicorn shivered as memories of a battle long since passed filled his mind, a dull phantom pain ached throughout his skull while he remembered the time Marco smashed a similar textbook against his head. The injury that came with such a fierce attack brought the worst headache Bearicorn felt in years and now, when faced by a similar weapon, forced him to recall such pain by pure instinct.

Bearicorn tilted sideways, the book narrowly missing his snout and slamming against the locker harmlessly.

"Ha, umm you missed!"

"Yeah but that wasn't his plan."

Bearicorn glanced downwards to Nova only to find his arms empty, the magical princess a ways away, smiling his direction and her wand glowing with a blue glimmer before there was a flash of illumination and a familiar reemergence of pain spreading throughout his face.

Connor and Nova beamed joyfully before letting out a joint sigh of relief and tiredness from the sudden surprise attack from Ludo's army.

"Gimme!" Ludo cried out, scurrying up the unsuspecting Connor's back with frightening agility before launching himself towards Nova's unprepared hand.

"Whoa, whoa little man" Marco cut in, plucking Ludo harmlessly midjump "I think you caused enough trouble today, okay?"

"Ugh, the karate boy"

"Man little birdy."

"I'm not a bird!" Ludo screeched before Marco casually tossed him into the newly formed portal and crossed his arms threateningly at the remaining minion pool.

"You know the drill. Out of my dimension. Now."

The monsters gave a universal groan, limping towards the swirling vortex of magic in a single file with Marco watching carefully nearby.

The tension in the air only lessened in the quad when the last monster was swallowed by the whirling tear in the fabric of reality.

Marco glanced around the battlefield: There were numerous dents in ground, cracked cement, bent poles and smashed tables with various food and drink items sprawled across the walls and floor.

"Wow" Marco nodded approvingly "I think this is the least amount of damage the school has suffered since the wand first came to Earth."

Nova weakly returned her father's proud grin, her mind briefly wondering if her dad was just making this up to stop her from feeling so guilty about destroying so much of the school.

Mom probably beat all the monsters without wrecking a single thing, Nova thought sadly to herself.

Nova slipped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand reassuringly grip her shoulder, Connor giving her a small smile while beaming at what they achieved.

Nova quickly caught Connor in a one armed hug, sparing the other limb for Missy who walked over to ensure they were both okay.

* * *

 _Thursday_

Nova let out a tired yawn as the third period bell rang, eyes barely held aloft. She had no idea why but she felt so drained despite the full night's rest, the fleeting images popping in and out of her mind, a dream lost but familiar at the same time...

"Novy, you okay?" Connor caught up to the lumbering princess, frowning at the lack energy and focus that plagued her.

"I..." Nova let out a cute yawn, her electric blue eyes dully staring at Connor's forest green ones, trying to chase away the concerned look dancing within those cute orbs.

"Nova..."

"I'm fine" Nova waved him off, sleepily leaning against her closed locker, struggling to stay awake.

Connor opened his mouth to retort only to have a pair of arms wrapping his neck, pulling closer to the mysterious individual.

"Heeeey Connor" Missy came into view, her pale blue eyes solely focusing on Connor, a playful smile on her lips as she drew him close.

"M-Missy?" Connor coughed, trying to stop his voice from cracking out of surprise "H-hi..."

"How are you doing today Connor?" Miss cooed, batting her eyes flirtatiously to the unprepared Connie

"I...I'm fine...I think Nova's unwell though."

Nova threw a jealous glare towards Missy before softening at how cute Missy and Connor looked. Rival or not, Missy still was a great help the other day. She could have this one...this time.

"Oh no, Nova is that true?"

"Just a little tired is all. I guess I'm still a little wound up from the fight..."

Miss frowned, slowly letting go of Connor before being stopped by Nova herself.

"Don't worry about me. I think I'm going to ask dad if I can go hone early...I..."

Connor frowned at the next yawn that escape Nova's mouth, his worry growing at the sight of the faded, pale color her pink hearts held.

"Nova, I'll go with you okay?" Connor offered, breaking Missy's hold on him and racing to catch up to Nova.

Nova held a hand out, giving Connor weary smile "I'll be fine. Spend some time with Missy. She really helped us out."

"Nova..." Connor looked unconvinced, something nagging at him though he was unsure what it is.

"Connor" Nova cupped his cheek in her hand and brushed her thumb across it before patting him in a mocking gesture "Go."

"I..." Connor began but Nova already walked away, slowly but surely making her way towards her father's classroom.

"You should go after her" Missy said, shamefully staring at the ill Nova "I...I didn't mean to..."

Connor was about to do so when he noticed Marco approach his daughter, giving her a look over before guiding her in the direction of the nurse's office.

"Oh...it...it's okay. Her dad's got her." Connor muttered, still unsure about leaving Nova behind.

"That's good." Missy grinned happily, obviously relived that Marco was able to find Nova so quickly.

Connor turned to Missy, sharing a smile with his crush while trying to keep his heartbeat calm.

Missy coughed, brushing her red streak hair behind her ear, her pale blue eyes staring intently at him.

"Thanks for your help yesterday" Connor shyly gestured with his hand "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't hit the monster with your textbook."

Missy let out a modest giggle, bashfully looking away from Connor's grateful gaze "I only got you back into the fight, you're the one that actually fought off Ludo's minions."

Connor chuckled, scratching the back of his head before a realization hit him like a ton of bricks "oh, I nearly forgot."

Missy looked at Connor reaching into his backpack with great confusion, unsure what the inventor had for her.

Missy smiled appreciatively at the sight of her textbook, the very same used Connor used to fight off the surprise attack.

"Thanks Connor."

Connor's cheeks were painted with a slight red hue "It's okay. I know how much it costs to replace these things."

The two shared another smile before realizing that they were going to be late for third period.

"Oh shoot! I should get going" Missy told Connor as Connor said to Missy "Oh man 3rd period, I got to go."

The two chuckled nervously, bidding each other goodbye before going to their respective classes.

* * *

Connor was quiet the rest of the day, absentmindedly drifting through the day, his worry for his best friend barely held in check, a sense of wrongness and fear ebbing at his resolve about bursting into the nurse's office and ditching the rest of the day to keep Nova company.

"Oooooh Connie" A voice called to Connor in a sing song way.

"Oh, feeling better Nova, I..." Connor turned, unable to keep the smile off his face until he saw Missy standing there instead, throwing a very sultry look his way.

"Oh...sorry Missy I thought you were..."

"Don't worry about that cutie." Missy winked at Connor, inching closer to Connor which made him very uncomfortable for some reason.

"Umm Missy? A-are you feeling well?" Connor asked "You seem a little..."

"Breathtakingly beautiful?"

"I was going to say forward. Hee...hee..." Connor laughed anxiously

"Oh sorry. I was just...thinking." Missy confessed, batting her eyes at him playfully.

"O-oh? ...a...about?"

"You..." Missy's pale blue eyes, reflecting red flakes within her pupils "Me..."

"And what about us?" Connor backed away into his locker but Missy quickly trapped him, her approach slow and purposeful like a predator playing with her prey.

"Umm Missy..."

"Yes Sweetie?"

"You seem a little off..."

"Do I?" Missy pouted adorably "I guess I was just eager to share my revelation with you?"

"O-oh? Which is?"

Connor gulped as Missy outstretched her arms, completely boxing Connor in and preventing any escape, her lips inching closer to his own.

Connor could feel the sweat form on his brow, the whole situation unnerving him in ways he never thought possible.

"All you have to is..." Missy whispered, motioning to her lips "And it'll be permanent."

That caught Connor's attention. "Permanent? What will be?"

"Us Connie" Missy let out the cutest giggle, her lips nearly brushing against Connor's

Connor was frozen, unsure what was going on or what he should do. This was way too soon, out of nowhere and as much as Connor liked Missy, this seemed wrong.

Connor gazed into Missy's eyes, a strange reflection of red flakes scattered all over her iris.

Red flakes...Connor thought, finally noticing the empty, lifeless emotion that swirled around Missy's eyes.

Connor felt his heart crawl to a stop, the implications of what was going on making Connor uneasy. Had she been like this the whole day or was it just now? Was everything just a ploy to get to Connor and who would put or force Missy to do this?

That's not important, Connor thought to himself, right now I need to find a way to keep Missy from doing anything stupid then I can figure out what's going on.

Missy was too busy to notice Connor's eyes searching for any possible way to stop her, too focused in her single minded task.

Connor, meanwhile, frantically looked for a way to stop Missy from doing something she'd regret or worse, trying her luck with someone who might use this to their advantage.

Connor glanced backwards, realizing he was pinned to Nova's locker.

Connor could feel his wrist ache as he bent it at an awkward angle, slowly twisting and turning the dial of the door, instinctively putting in Nova's code.

"Whatcha dooooing Connie?" Missy whispered, nuzzling herself against his neck and causing his heart to practically jump out of his stomach.

"Umm...I trying to relax...this is pretty...intense for me...

"Really?" Missy pulled back, her breath tickling his face as she gave him such a puppy pout that only Nova could beat "..I bet. You like me don't you?"

Connor said nothing, opting to concentrate on the task at hand.

Missy let Connor go, taking a step away from him while putting her hands on her hips "Well?"

"Umm..." Connor muttered, hoping she didn't try anything. Not yet.

"Seriously Connor?" Missy scoffed, crossing her arms angrily "Answer the question."

"I...well..."

"Answer Connor!"

"I..."

"NOW SINCLAIR!"

If he wasn't sure this wasn't really Missy before, that clinched it: Missy would never refer to him by his last name.

"Actually" Connor took a calming breath, hoping Missy didn't remember this later. "You are quite ugly and selfish."

Connor was caught off guard how easily 'Missy' snapped, letting out a vicious shriek before lunging forward with reckless abandon.

Connor dodged sideways, pulling open Nova's locker and catching Missy unaware.

Missy fell into the enclosed space easily and before Missy could react, Connor slammed the door closed, taking a deep breath before being startled by the sudden violent banging that came from within.

"LET ME OUT SINCLAIR OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!"

"Umm yeah I think I will once I find Nova" Connor admitted, taking a step back "We'll figure this out Missy..."

"SINCLAIR! OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"

"No way..." Connor murmured, deciding to head to the nurse's office to see if Nova was still at school or had she been sent home early.

* * *

"What do you mean she never showed up?" Connor looked at the Miss Flora fearfully.

The older black haired, gray eyed nurse shook her head at the teen's inquiry "Sorry. I don't know where she is, but she isn't here."

"A-are you sure?"

Miss Flora nodded but before she could say anything else, Connor raced outside, trying to keep his panic in check.

"Maybe Mr. Diaz took her home..." Connor muttered to himself, wandering aimlessly throughout the school ground "She did look pretty ill...I mean...he had to right...right?"

Connor could feel his dread rising, an icy chill in the pit of his stomach that grew colder with each passing moment.

"There had to be a good reason, just had..." Connor stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted a discard piece of paper, something that was fairly common at Echo Creek Academy.

Connor didn't know why but he felt the sudden urge to pick it up, finding some small comfort in the action.

He unfurled the paper and felt a strange sense of relief upon seeing the familiar scrawl of Nova's handwriting, her name neatly tucked in the corner like the good student she was.

Connor looked around before realizing there was a forgotten pencil nearby, a chewed up notebook, pens, random school supplies but where others saw trash, Connor saw a trail. A trail to his best friend left behind by Nova herself.

Connor mindlessly followed the trail, not paying attention to where he was going but only to the next piece that led him closer to Nova.

She must've left this for me, Connor thought to himself, She must've been taken or...or tricked and she was leaving me a path to follow. How could I be so stupid? Maybe Marco told her to wait in the nurse's office...and and...I..I don't know but I need to find her.

The black pavement and gravel became into yellowish, green grass, the buildings becoming an empty field as the trail became more and more sparse before it just...ended...

"Nova!" Connor shouted, searching the empty field for any sign of Nova but failing to find any trace of her "NOVA! NOVA WHERE ARE YOU!? NOOOVA!"

Connor clutched at his hair uneasily, his fear overwhelming him and blocking any sort of clear thought. All he could think was where was Nova?

Something caught Connor's eye, a red against green, something buried against the grass, pressed purposefully as if to try to hide it from a curious gaze.

Connor raced over, feeling faint at the sight of Nova's devil headband sunk deeply into the dirt, nearly invisible against the multicolored life.

Connor reached for it slowly, his hands shaking uncontrollably, his deepest fears realize and his stomach sick at how the innocent day became an unbelievable nightmare.

Nova was missing...Nova was missing and...

"Whoa, stop right there"

Connor snapped out of his daze, curiously staring at the hand that appeared out of nowhere, gripping his wrist and preventing him from picking up the devil horns.

Connor traced the arm to the person it was attached, his normally playful, relaxed now sharp and suspicious.

"J-Jack? What are you...?"

Jack gave Connor the most serious look he had ever seen on the young man's face.

"I wouldn't touch that buddy" Jack told him, leaning over the forgotten devil head with an intense look.

"W-why, is it evidence?"

"Oh no" Jack replied in a tranquil tone "It's been cursed, whoever took your girlfriend is a real player in the Underworld."

"Under...Under..."

Jack nodded in confirmation, plucking headband off the ground.

As soon as Jack's hand closed around the devil horns, there was a loud crack, a burst of dark red flames engulfed it, an intense heat that caused Connor to feel dehydrated and surrounding grass instantly shiver up and die as the flames hungrily consumed Jack's hand.

"Ja..." Connor coughed, his throat so dry he thought his body had never once tasted a single drop of water.

Jack clicked his tongue disappointingly at the flames eating his appendage "Such shoddy work. No pride in craftsmanship."

Before Connor could question what was going on, Jack blew out the flames as if they were birthday candles. His hand was perfectly fine, no sign of a single scorch mark or burn on the tiniest skin cell.

"Ja..." Connor coughed, feeling weak and dizzy from the increasingly difficult day.

"Oh..." Jack looked sheepish, scratching his cheek as if wondering how to best explain this "umm...so...this is going be a funny story...but...I'm a demon. Well...half."

"Half demon?"

Jack let out a good nature laugh "yeah, you see when a human and a demon reeaally love each other, they..."

Connor couldn't take it: He felt his brain shut down, a sea of darkness overtaking his view as he felt his body slump to the floor, the last words he heard echoing in his skull as he fell asleep against his will.

"Too soon?"


	11. Where in the world is Nova Butterfly?

Hello fanfiction! Mr.e here hoping you are doing great. thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. your support and love of these stories makes it a pleasure to write for you all!

a special thanks to finn: It's about to get more interesting.

sp8acefluff- yep! It's canon! just wait for the end of this chapter.

SonicElite- haha yep. they really are too cute of a couple. i really hope you enjoy this story arc, given to us by Bernadette! and its my little way to thank all my readers and supporters. honestly if anyone wanted to be a background character in nova, they just have to tell me their basic appearance and an alias for me to use. i mean i wont use everyone all the time but yeah its my little way to thank everyone. stay awesome!

TheDarkflames-Things always escalate quickly with me! BWAHAHA I'm glad you liked it. I try to avoid cliches (though i do have some love ones planned) and always try to switch it up though this story arc is all Bernadette's. i just write out the ideas she has. oh yeah drama is a thing but smart drama. *Fist bumps* i hope you keep enjoying the chapters.

Mintha- yay! Breathing and alive. i guess i'll ship back your new body. Starco insurance just jumped the gun. right? those hugs! such starco ! Yep! it's my little way of saying thank you to all you readers and supporters. i can't do much aside write so i figured why not make them background characters. any of you readers can be background characters if you want whenever i need some. ooooh that's awesome! I am very honored you enjoy my works so much and it surprises me how many people consider covy their OTP and i am beyond humbled by that. I am so happy so many people think so highly of my children. did you try Instagram? maybe that could work. though honestly tumblr has a thing you could submit work to me even anonymously but if it doesn't work with your phone sorry. You are absolutely right. Jack is their son because its a couple thats too cute and fits together. haha that's cool! i really don't mind if you stalk us. :) have a great day and i hope you enjoy the story! (you can totally call me that, it's my online name.)

Heroaidernmontilla- haha sorry but that's how story telling works best. mystery. haha please be a little more patient it'll pay off. hopefully. Oooh im glad you enjoyed it so much! haha not bad for my first public work in a long time huh? this is my take on the canon's future. so not really if i miss you's universe (i might go back to show that one again) haha yep half demon and thank you so much i try my hardest to make my oc complex and interesting though Jack seems to keep stealing the scenes he's in. nope just a great friend. and eva but you can call my by my online handle Mr.E if you want. have a great day!

the-ffandomlover- hmm maaaaybe Connor might have some romantic affection towards Nova haha. all the clues are there can you figure them out?!

Jayanna- haha well Marco is no long a boy anymore. haha Jack hopes you don't share it with a lot of people. Demons aren't exactly welcomed on Earth. haha sorry that's how cliffhangers work. and i did, so go ahead and be so punny! :D

author Smimph- yep! it was the least i could do and really anyone can ask to be a background character when i need them for Nova vs. haha yeah just a little. more like dying that i would do that haha Nova does think highly of her perfect mother and you know marco would be laughing at how cute it is nova thinks her mom didn't destroy anything. then probably show her pictures. the wheel has been in motion since the start but now you see the wheel but is it the wheel i want you to see? bwahaha have a great week you two ad...

Jack: I'll talk about it all i want. People need to know Smimph!

cartoonlover- haha Jack is totally a scene stealer. fangirl all you want that's how nova came to be. fanning out! yep! those were his horn and yes that is why he's so as you say it "Hot"

guest sorta- yep Jack's parents and i tried to make it make sense. :)

grim- everyone gets worries, you worries, you get worries EVERYONE WORRY! well above average week this time. haha yeah icame up with the bull and i had to use it asap. yep she totally did. she loves those bad boys. haha Jack is naturally cool because of them. everyone saves everyone! haha

princessxgilex- thank you for your review, ill answer it asap.

romantic sloth- a very dark, dark force.

Krissdom: thank you so much and i hope you enjoy the other chapters :) haha yep i couldn't resist after seeing people pair them so much

Anoymims- haha yep, you memed it correctly my dear friend. yes it seems to be a high tense situation and who indeed though Ford wrote the journals, Carmen is currently in Paris i believe SO MANY QUESTIONS. haha it was a good week for all and next week seems great too have a great day!

IDC1314: HI sara! hope you are doing good! Im working on a Kim possible story for you, should be up soon. haha busy i bet not lazy and honestly don't worry about it. Sometimes we get busy or we forget but as long as you enjoyed the stories i am happy. these stories are mention to be enjoyed at your time. thank you for your support and review and take your time with it! :)

Marionette- hello my co-arc creator! I love the reviews! you deth? haha sorry but i had to thank you deth. CAMEOS! no dying people will be very sad. onward with the arc *gets dragged through the portal.*

Sparklesona- sorry for the delay...are...are you still alive? please be alive. you didn't fill out your starco and covy body replacement!

Thundermist- Missy: I AM FINE WHY DO YOU ASK!? DO I SEEM WEIRD TO YOU? DO YOU? WHAT DID SINCLAIR TELL YOU?

*pushes her away* sorry, sorry she's umm...yeah. you can come out now

godlegend- two it is.

Thank you for everything, all of you. your support means the world to me and your love of covy makes me deeply honored and appreciate it so much. Here is the next chapter of my collab with Bernadette over at marionette-j2x on tumblr (Who just put up awesome drawing Connor) This arc was her idea and Im just writing it down because she has some great ideas. A special thanks to sweatermermaid also on tumblr who gave me the cutest drawing of Nova holding little Conne the plush, Cartooniste22z and doodle-corn who gave me awesome nova fan art. and of course happy birthday to weather-art who made my incredible story icon. You are all the best and mean so much to me.

I won't keep you any longer, here's the next chapter! enjoy!

* * *

Connor felt dizzy, his head throbbed terribly and his mouth felt dry. He's never blacked out before and he rather not to do it again.

It was a strange disconnect to feel so disoriented: In the pitch darkness of his mind, Connor had no idea where he was, how much time had passed, why he was seemingly floating in midair yet moving forward at the same time or even why his body felt stiff against some sort of tiny, metal platform.

It was off putting how his senses began functioning in reverse. First Connor himself returned though his control over his body was questionable at best. He tried to open his eyes but it felt like someone had super glued them shut. The sounds of muted footsteps against the grass gave way to the crunching of shoes on top of the blacktop, an uneven metal creaking ringing loudly in his ears came soon after.

"So...what's happening again?" A familiar voice asked carefully, a slight strain in his tone hinting at some physical excursion.

"Well Missy's brainwashed, Connie fainted and Nova's been kidnapped." another voice replied casually, only the barest hint of concern laced in his words.

"Well that explains why Missy has been giving me the stink eye this whole time and..wait, NOVA IS MISSING?!"

"Hey why don't you tell everyone!" The other voice answered sarcastically "Let's know everyone know that the girl with the magical item capable of leveling entire cities is missing. I'm sure the panic that ensues will be calm and mild."

"S-sorry but I can't believe she's been kidnapped. With the wand and her father at the school, it seems pretty bold."

"Too bold and it paid off."

"Do you think it's Ludo?"

"After the butt kicking yesterday, I doubt it."

Connor moaned loudly, using every inch of his willpower to force his eyes open.

The sunlight felt harsh to his eyes, the exposure from the fireball in the sky nearly causing Connor to squint his eyes close once more but he powered through it.

"Nova..." Connor whispered, the first thing on his mind "Nova, Nova, NOVA!"

Connor shot up only to stumble around uncontrollably, nearly tumbling to the floor and spilling out of the wagon he was currently riding in.

"Whoa whoa!" Connor flailed his arms trying to keep his balance.

"Well, hello sleeping beauty, enjoying your pumpkin ride?"

"Jack, aren't those two different fairytales?"

"Ugh, way to kill it Roman."

"Sorry."

Connor took a deep breath after his unexpected wake up call.

Towering in front of him was Jack, one hand lazily pull the handle bar of the wagon Connor found himself in. Next to the impeccably dressed half...demon was his romantic rival for the magical princess, the greaser emulating, leather jacket wearing Roman with a bound Missy held aloft on his broad shoulders who glared and snarled at the trio of friends with vicious intent.

"Umm..." Connor looked awkwardly towards the other teens "...is there any reason Missy is tied up?"

"She's brainwashed, the flakes in her eyes show a powerful hypnosis spell." Jack explained, rubbing his temple wearily

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Yeah, we just need to get a magical being to break her free of the spell. I'm sure Mrs. Diaz has some sort of potion or witchcraft to help out"

There was a painful silence at the implication that Mrs. Diaz was the only person who could free Missy from the control of the mysterious being that was behind everything.

"Right...annnnd why am I in a wagon?" Connor patted the rusted cart lovingly.

"Psst, you're fat" Jack scoffed "I'm not a bodybuilder. Gotta lose some weight buddy."

Connor glared at Jack's playful smirk, a moment of righteous anger boiling within his stomach before realizing Jack was coping. He too was worried for the magical princess and was covering it up with his usual attitude. Letting Connor know he was half demon must've also been taking a toll on the young man.

"Hee.." Connor chuckled "Sorry but I can't say no to some yummy pancakes."

"Well get out, I'm not carrying you anymore and pancakes make you fat."

"Pancakes make you fat?!"

The two teens shared a reassuring smile with one another, grateful that in spite of everything that's happened, their friendship remained solid and they could still rely on each other.

"Hey guys!"

The trio turned around to see Mr. Diaz approaching them with a friendly wave. They shifted guiltily at the sight of his suspicious stare, his gaze slowly taking in the sight of the bound Missy openly throwing daggers towards her teacher, Roman's somber face with Jack and Connor downcast stares. Marco couldn't hide the question from burning in his eyes: Where is my daughter?

"Mr. Diaz..." Jack started slowly, his tranquil facade melting away into shame.

"Nova's missing" Connor chimed in, cutting straight to the point. It hurt to say the words but the pain felt so unbearable to draw it out for the worried parent "I...I lost her after you sent her to the nurses office."

"I didn't send her to the nurses office...I haven't seen her since 2nd period." Marco murmured slowly.

Connor felt sick, the vivid memory of Mr. Diaz guiding Nova towards office etched cleanly into his mind. His failure to realize something was wrong, his selflessness to spend time with Missy putting his best friend in danger. He was a horrible person...he was a horrible friend...This was all Connor's fault.

The trio was unnerved to see Marco's normally carefree, joyful face slip into one of pure fear and desperation.

"Mr. Diaz... I..." Connor began but Marco held his hand up, his face morphing into a blank, emotionless mask.

Connor nodded in agreement. If it was hard for him, he couldn't imagine how difficult this could be for Marco. This was a parent's worst nightmare and Marco must be blaming himself too for such a thing. After all he was in the school when Nova went missing. He should've been watching out for his little girl. He should've been keeping an eye out for any sign of trouble...

"Roman thank you" Marco told the greaser simply "You should head home."

"Mr. Diaz, I want to help!" Roman clutched his fist tightly with a passionate fury.

"You can't Roman. Go home."

Roman opened his mouth to argue but Connor gently placed his hand on the older teen's shoulder. Roman glanced back towards Connor realizing that this out of his area of expertise. For as much as he wanted to do something about it, anyone bold enough to take Nova from underneath her well known and very protective father was not to be underestimated.

"Yes sir..." Roman muttered in disappointment.

"Don't worry we'll get her back" Jack said with a confident smile he did not actually feel.

"And we'll let you know asap. Heck, we'll even get her to call you." Connor added.

"If she can get a single word out" Roman chuckled, causing the group to burst in much needed laughter. "Be safe you guys."

Jack and Connor nodded in agreement.

Roman let out a defeated sigh, making his way to the entrance of the school, unable to stop himself worrying despite the fact there was nothing he could do.

Marco coughed loudly.

"Mr. Diaz" Connor cut in, staring the older man directly in his eye "No, I am going to help you save Nova."

"Connor" Marco said softly but Connor wasn't having any of it.

"NO! She's my best friend and this is all my fault!"

"Connor, this isn't..."

"It is!" Connor yelled angrily, clutching his fist tightly as tears built in his eyes "IT'S MY FAULT FOR BEING SO STUPID! I should've gone with her! I shouldn't have never left her alone! I should've been doing my job as her best friend!"

"And crush" Jack coughed.

"What was that?" Connor glanced at Jack.

"Nothing" Jack whistled innocently.

"Connor" Marco started again but Connor wasn't finished.

"I need to do something!" Connor hated the cracking in his voice, the unfiltered fear running through each word "I...I can't just sit at home Mr. Diaz. I can't just shut off...umm...my...protectiveness..."

"He means feelings" Jack helpfully supplied and despite the seriousness of the situation, Connor spared him a glare.

"Connor" Marco said with a sad smile "Stop wasting our time. We got to get Missy to the house."

Connor flushed in embarrassment, realizing his little display of emotion was unneeded and probably going to be used against him in future teasing.

"So" Marco said matter of factly "Missy's brainwashed huh?"

"How'd you guess?" Jack questioned mockingly.

"The snarling. She doesn't really snarl."

"I'm sorry Missy" Connor muttered shamefully "They must've used you to get to me..."

"Psst please" Jack rolled his eyes "These guys did their homework but nobody needed to take a guess that you had a thing for Missy. At least she wasn't used to hurt you."

"JACK! Surprisingly not making me feel better"

"Guys, my little girl is missing" Marco muttered with a deadly edge "Now is not the time. You do this in the car."

"R-right Mr. Diaz, s-sorry."

Marco took a deep, calming breath "Now it's time to go on the offensive. To the Diaz mobile!"

Jack and Connor shared a surprise look at the confident, relaxed stride of Marco who carefully and gently carried Missy with no problem despite her...colorful language and attempts to escape.

"Man" Jack whistled "I wish I could be that composed in such a high stress situation. I gotta start taking lessons from him."

"Well" Connor chimed in "he did grow up with Star Butterfly. I bet nothing can make him lose his cool."

* * *

Marco's sedan violently skated across the street, skidding across the pavement as if it was sliding around on ice. It hit the curb with so much force that for a brief moment it seemed the car was about tip over onto its side before roughly landing back onto the ground.

Marco held the wheel firmly in his grip, a deranged, panic look on his face as he wiped away the several branches that managed to lodge themselves into his windshield.

The car doors were flung open hurriedly, the dizzy and dazed figures of Connor and Jack stumbled onto all fours on the grassy lawn of the Diaz household, clutching at the earth like gravity was going to loosen its hold the two boys at any moment.

"LAND!" Jack cried out, sobbing with pure bliss, rubbing his face against the scratchy grass with a new found sense of appreciation.

"I'm going to be sick" Connor held his stomach gingerly "and I thought Mrs. Diaz was a reckless driver."

"Can I open my eyes now?" Missy called, still trapped in the backseat of the sedan "I mean unless we're dead. Are we dead?"

The teens jumped at the sound of Marco's loud, terrified shout for his wife.

"STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"

Marco raced into the home, kicking open the door as if taking the time to turn the knob was too much of a waste of time.

"ugh, how do you think Star is going to take it?" Jack asked curiously.

There was a soft, barely audible click before a blazing whitish blue light appeared from within the household.

an ear deafening boom filtered into the outside world, a wave of pure sound rolled over the teens as every single window within ear shot cracked under the power of the burst.

"Not well I think..." Connor answered, rising to his feet uneasily, unsure he was ready to face a wrathful Star...

"Come on" Jack motioned to the house "The longer we put this off, the more trouble Nova is going to find herself in."

"Right." Connor agreed, rushing after the half demon

"Guys, still in the car! I mean I hate you all but could you at least get me out?"

* * *

Connor and Jack sat quietly on the couch, shifting anxiously as Star loomed over the mind controlled Missy, scratching her chin with Mr. Spatula, sky blue eyes deep in thought.

"Hmm." Star hummed softly, calm and collected while Marco ran every which direction, in the background, arms filled to the brim with a random array of weapons, snacks, armor, notepads, mirrors and even crystal balls.

"STAR! WHERE'S THE NUMBER TO CALL IN THE MILITARY? FERGUSON GAVE IT TO ME BUT I CAN'T FIND IT!" Marco asked frantically, dumping the pile of items onto the floor before flipping through the numerous phone books "Are the navy seals or marines better equipped to handle hostage situations? HOW MANY SNIPERS ARE WE GOING TO NEED? The amount of Mewnian Battalions we bring to make a clear show of force is how many? I'm thinking like 15 of each to make sure. Star? STAR!"

"Not now Marco, I'm using magic" Star waved off her husband's inquires

Connor and Jack shared a confused look. How was Star going to use magic if she no longer possessed the wand?

Star closed her eyes, rising to her full height as she inhaled deeply. She lifted a single hand towards Missy who struggled in vain to get out of the path of Star's spellcasting.

Jack and Connor were caught off guard as two large purplish pink wings appeared from behind Star's long, blonde mane, fluttering nervously in response to the tension in the room

"Dip down..." Star whispered quietly to herself. Her eyes shot open, her pupils now a solid void of pure white, the outlines of her pinkish heart cheeks matching the color perfectly while the mood of the room changed.

Connor was no magical creature but even he felt the sudden shift of power that filled the air. His hairs stood up in response to Star's raw, unrestrained magical prowess, a strange sense of awe and wonder seeping into every fiber of his being.

"Whoa..." Jack muttered dumbly, his eyes glazed over and distant "That is some serious magical power..." Jack took in a deep breath, letting out a self satisfied sigh "Magic in its purest form...intoxicating"

"Can you, like, taste magic?" Connor asked curiously.

Jack nodded happily "oh yeah..."

"What's it taste like?"

"Chocolate."

"Huh...okay then"

Missy hissed furiously at the sight of the magically infused queen slowly approaching her but there was no escape for the bound teen as Star held her palm against the young girl's forehead.

"Candy curse breaker!"

Missy howled with an unshackled fury as a wave of lollipops and jawbreakers washed over her, striping away a previously unseen red hue that blanketed the teen ominously. A strange symbol appeared over the bound girl but before anyone could get a real look at it, cracks ran down its surface, its integrity crumpling as its source of magical energy faded into nothingness.

The symbol fell apart, disintegrating into thin air and leaving no trace of its existence.

The red flakes disappeared from Missy's pale blue eyes, the trademark pose and calm the teen was normally known returning in full force.

Star's legs buckled as her eyes and hearts returned to normal, the energetic bounce mother of two now drained and tired as she slumped against the couch.

"Mrs. Diaz!" Jack and Connor cried out together, rushing to help the older woman to her feet.

"haha that was fun" Star giggled mindlessly, leaning on the two boys for support as they helped her to her feet.

"Star!" Marco ran over to his wife quickly, taking over from Jack and Connor and easing her onto the couch.

"Hey handsome" Star gave Marco a playful wink, kissing his cheek affectionately before passing out in his arms.

"Is she okay?" Connor asked, concern now for both mother and daughter.

"She's fine" Marco let out a relived sigh "She's a little rusty with the whole channeling magic directly and that seemed to be a powerful spell she just broke."

"Ugh...my head..."

"Missy!" Connor made his way over, quickly untying his crush and embracing her tightly.

"Connor? What's going on?" Missy glanced around the room, confused how she ended up from the school to the Diaz's living room.

"Umm...well..." Connor paused, unsure how exactly to break it to Missy that she had been mind controlled into being a decoy.

"You were brainwashed" Jack stated "The whole mindless slave doing the bidding of your unknown master against your will."

"Jack!"

"What?" Jack shrugged "What were you going to tell her? That she wasn't brainwashed and she just forgot the last few hours?"

"Umm...well..."

"Oh..." Missy muttered softly "I-I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"Of course not Missy!" Connor reassured

"Did...I do anything embarrassing...?"

Connor flushed brightly, remembering Missy's more...flirtatious actions before her overly aggressive attempts to charm Connor.

"Umm...no."

Missy narrowed her eyes at Connor "...Connor..."

"You tried to seduce him."

Jack had to admit it was pretty cute to see Missy's cheek match Connor's, a horrified realization dancing in her eyes.

"Oh god...did...I...did we...umm kiss?"

"What?" Connor's forest green pupils were wide "N-No! Not at all!"

"Good..." Missy said, both relived and disappointed at such a revelation.

"Look" Jack quickly followed up "As cute as it is to see you two all shy and such" Connor and Missy shared a look before quickly turning away from each other "I need you to focus. What is the last thing you remember Missy?"

"Huh? oh..." Missy pursed her lips, concentrating on the last memory available to her "I...I was talking to Connor during brunch...we said bye and headed off to third period...and...I remember...passing...something...and...sigh. That's it."

"That's okay." Connor held Missy's hand "At least we know you didn't spend all day under mind control."

Connor and Missy shared a smiled before quickly parting once more, their blushes worsening.

"guys, what's going on?" Missy asked curiously, briefly wondering where Nova was hiding.

"Nova's missing" Jack supplied "And we're trying to figure out how to find her."

"I know how to find her!"

Everyone still awake turned to the tiny, confident voice at the top of the stairway.

Sol stood proudly, fully covered from head to toe in a sleek, shiny, frightening armor, a razor sharp dagger in his little hands as he raced down the stairs and presented himself for inspection.

"Captain Stabby reporting for stabbing."

Sol let out a cocky grin before it fell into annoyance when Marco plucked away the dangerous weapon from his son. The little prince was about to argue before seeing the furious gaze that his father was throwing his way.

"Solius Antonio Marcus Del la Cruz Diaz." Marco called, clutching the knife angrily "Where...did...you GET THIS KNIFE!?"

Sol let out a cute frightened gasp "Mommy!"

"STAAAAAAAAAAR!"

"Wha? Who?" Star jumped out of her rest, her wild and eyes searching for whoever called her "it was the giant duck!"

Marco held up the dagger for Star to see.

"Oh hey that's where I put Mr. stabbington...annnnd Sol had it didn't he?"

Marco nodded, gently placing the knife on the table as he made his way closer to his wife.

"Star, I told you we have to be more careful with your weapons! Sol is a young boy."

"Sol" Star countered "Is the prince of Mewni and needs to defend himself."

"We are not having this conversation right now Star. Not when our little girl is missing."

"I know. Wait!" Star's heart lit up with lightbulbs "I'll use the tracker spell I put on her."

Marco stared at his wife "You put a tracker spell on Nova?"

Star smugly grinned towards Marco "I thought ahead! Aren't you proud of me?"

"Proud but still disappointed in you about Sol. it's simultaneously. They kind of cancel each other"

Star beamed joyfully "Star for the win!"

"Umm Star, I said I..."

"WIN!" Star cheered, closing her eyes once more as she began to channel her magic again.

"Dip...doooooown" Star chanted before letting out a groan of discomfort, her pink hearts turning into swirls "Yeah I don't think I feel so good."

Star fell back onto the couch, eyes dizzy as her head span around and around and around "I think I need more time..."

Marco frowned "We don't have time. We need to find Nova now and..."

"I know how to find her."

Marco and Star turned to Jack who held a familiar looking bell in his hand

"Nova's horns were cursed with a hellfire trap. Only creatures from the Underworld can pull that off." Jack explained "And if there's anyone who knows the Underworld it's my father."

Connor was unsure who Jack's father was though it was clear Sol, Marco and Star were aware of his identity.

"Think he'll help?" Marco questioned.

"Of course, he's chilled out a looooot since we were teens." Star agreed "He'll totally help out."

"Are you sure Jack? It has been a while since you've seen him."

Jack shrugged nonchalantly "I've been meaning to visit him for a while now. I guess now as good a time as any."

"Umm...who is your father?" Connor asked.

"You don't know? Really?" Jack shot him a disbelieving look.

"Well he's never really met your father." Marco added "and it's not like he comes up that often."

"But isn't it obvious who Jack's father is?" Star asked.

"umm...no" Connor answered.

"Really Connor?" Missy stared at him.

Connor felt silly. Was it really obvious who Jack's father was?

"Okay, let me go get changed and..." Marco began but Jack stopped him at once.

"No, only me and Connor. Smaller parties are better for the Underworld" Jack quickly added in "and you two are so famous, you'll stick out like a sore thumb. Not to mention your wife smells of rainbows and cute woodland creatures and so do you sir given your constant exposure to her. Totally not Underworldy."

Marco was surprised by this information as Star began sniffing herself in an attempt to catch a whiff of her apparently signature smell.

"But why Connor?" Missy asked worriedly "N-not that he can't help but shouldn't it just be you Jack?"

"Two heads are better than one and he's got some experience in life or death situations. We can't afford to freeze up."

Connor nodded in agreement "Let's go Jack."

"Agreed."

Connor so riled up when he felt a little tug pull at his shorts. He glanced down to see the indifference face of Rocky staring up at him, her brown eyes holding back some powerful emotions.

Rocky slid Sol's dagger into his hand, giving Connor a little nod before making her way towards Star, climbing onto the queen's head and trying her hardest not to show any sadness as the Diaz's held each other close, their helplessness and fear written all over their face.

Connor pocketed the dagger and gently lay Nova's headband onto the coffee table "I will bring her back. I promise."

The Diaz's gave a small smile at Connor's promise.

"We know..." Marco said.

"When you find her, call us and we'll get her back together" Star grinned.

"GO GENERAL CONNIE! BRING BACK MY FAVORITE TARGET" Sol cheered before allowing himself to be hugged by both his parents.

Rocky simply stared at Connor with a glare that basically said "You better or else."

Missy quickly hugged both Jack and Connor tightly, whispering into their ears "Be safe you two."

Connor coughed, trying to will his blush away as Jack dragged him away by his collar "We got this Missy."

Jack rang the little bell, hitting it with an equally tiny hammer, its deep thum echoing throughout the room as a flash of flames appeared from the floor, a dark blood red carriage rising through the fire held aloft by a flying gargoyle.

"Master Jack..." The gargoyle greeted with a polite bow "And fleshy thing."

"Hey! My name is Connor!" Connor shot back as he allowed Jack to drag him into their ride.

The Diaz's and Missy waved goodbye to the boys as the carriage descend into the sea of flames, sinking deeper and deeper into the earth.

* * *

The ride to the Underworld was awkward, the two best friends silent while a rather catchy elevator music filled the air now that the two had time to talk.

"So..." Jack started uncharacteristically sullen "...you know..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"That...you know..." Jack stared out the window, focusing on the dirt that surrounded the pair "I'm a demon..."

"So?"

Jack stared at Connor's smiling face, unable to believe he was still content with being friends with him "Seriously?"

Connor shot him a casual shrug "Of course. What do I care? I'm best friends with a magical princess, a monster frog and now a half demon. I'd say my life is never going to be boring again."

Jack said nothing but instead allowed a small smirk to grace his face "Psst, you know it four eyes."

Connor beamed cheerfully at his demonic best friend "Besides, now I know how you do your magic tricks! Makes sense it's some sort of demonic magic or..."

Connor winced as Jack's fist connected with his shoulder, Jack's happy face turning into annoyance.

"Oww" Connor rubbed his shoulder "What was that for?"

"You" Jack pointed his finger accusingly towards Connor "Do not insult me. I did not spend 7 years working and training my butt off to be a very, very talented magician for you to claim my demonic powers are behind it. Nope. Demons wish they were as good as me. All natural baby"

Jack gave a playful smile towards Connor to show they were no hard feelings

Connor returned the gestured before moving onto another subject "So...how did you find Nova's headband?"

Jack became deathly quiet and for a brief moment, Connor wondered if he had somehow asked the wrong question.

"I smelled something..." Jack revealed "I smelled it before on Sunday when we went to the movies...I...I don't really deal with underworld so I wasn't sure what it was at the time. When I smelled it today, I just assumed whatever it was rubbed off on me. It had been on me all week so I thought nothing of it...then I noticed it was getting stronger and stronger this afternoon. Like whatever the source of the smell was nearby. When school ended, I decided to investigate and that's when it led me to you and Nova's headband."

"So it's a demon?"

Jack shrugged "It's something from the underworld. There's more things in the underworld than just demons: Shades, wraiths, devils, lava golems, mole people."

"Mole People?"

"But whatever it was" Jack ignored Connor's disbelief at Mole people "It must've been very powerful if it drained Star to break its spell...or it had help. Either way we're going need my dad."

The carriage shook violently, the doors sliding open a moment later as the gargoyle called out to the passengers "Bottom floor."

"Thanks Ralph" Jack snapped and pointed to the gargoyle gratefully "I'll see if I get you a night off."

"Thank you Master Jack...and fleshbag."

"Yeah..." Connor replied deadpanned "thanks."

Connor stepped out of the carriage only to find himself in a blood red hallway, solid white doors with different apartment numbers etched into wooden surfaces.

"Umm...your dad lives in Underworld apartments? Very...umm human."

Jack waved off Connor's unimpressive attitude "Have you lived in a city? Sometimes it's pure chaos. Come on, he's at the end of the hall."

Jack knocked on a door that read 667D

"Umm...not 666?" Connor jokingly asked.

"No, that's cliched. Duh" Jack replied as the door swung open.

Connor gulped at the impressive figure known as Jack's father opened the door.

He was tall, taller than Marco. Two dark orange horns with white tips were protruding from his skull, hidden beneath some salmon reddish hair shaped upwards like a flame. His ears were pointed with varying piercings. He had 2 regular eyes with black lines streaking down under the eye lids with a 3rd eyeball in the center of his forehead, his red irises taking in the sight of the duo, his pointed nose wrinkled towards them. He wore a simple collared dress shirt, his sleeves rolled up like he had just gotten off of work though he already had slipped into more comfortable sweats for leg wear.

"Jack?" Jack's father's irritated mood vanished at once when he realized it was his son at the door "and Connor, right?"

"Umm..." Connor was unsure how to react.

Jack cleared his throat loudly.

"Connor, meet my father. The king of the Underworld and person who is going to help us find your missing princess. Tom. The demon."


	12. Tom and Jacky

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here with a new chapter. Thank you soooo much for every single review, follow and favorite. seriously it means soooo much to me and makes it such a pleasure to write for you all.

a special thanks to...

?: Knock, knock

Huh? oh. i guess we have a guest, let's go see who it is. *opens door*

*Bernadette walks in, waving happily to everyone*

Oh hey deth! What brings you here?

Deth: *squealing* i couldn't resist! I must give my thanks to all of the reviews for the arc we made! *bouncing up and down*

Mr.E: I know right? they really seemed to love the arc and we both worked hard at it. well go for it deth! thank the wonderful readers.

Deth:" Halooooooo everyone! I am...so... GRATEFUL to each and everyone of you for liking the arc... Imma give you guys hugs! *hugs everyone* *squealing* you guys are the best! Whooooo! :)

Mr.E: yay hugs!

Deth: *hugs E back* "This is Deth reporting. Now, for the reviews! back to you E!" *points at E*

Haha thanks deth! *hugs!* a special thanks to fandom lover- yes the next chapter, deth spoilers and Connor feels very responsible for nova. even without his crush on her, he takes it upon himself to watch over her. who knows. there will be intense hugging.

Finn- i'm glad you liked it!

Jayanna- haha yeah i couldn't resist making some Jantom. THey are super cute together. I'm glad you enjoyed it. What won't i melieve? Wait, really? omg that's all kindas of ironic! haha that's awesome. makes me wonder if there's a nova.

Author Smimph- Jack: yeah my mom doesn't care and quite honestly, she'd probably go into more graphic detail just to mess with you. oh E says sorry about the piling questions but some will be answered. softa. anyway somethings don't get brought up and COnnor's always respected Jack's privacy so he never asked. hmm i might make that a oneshot Marco teaches Star to drive. haha hope you enjoy this chapter.

smittytheories- tom actually just got home, he was change into his after work clothes before Jack and Connor knocked on his door. yes, anyone. jack: (fists bump) I am no dog. I'm a demon ;) Mr.E: haha even Jack isn't smooth all the time. Jack and Sol would be deadly charming combo. can you imagine? I can. that's a future chapter. thanks! we thank you! and hugs

Thundermist-yeah missy back to normal. I'm really glad you like the story and let's see how many twists you can catch Well i'll get your body ready. please wait 3 to 7 business days for your new body. Star says on facespace she just saved your life

SonicElite- oooh nice i would love to hear your theory and Jack agrees to your adoption though be careful. i think a lot of people want to adopt him if they don't have a crush on him. Rocky is indifferent to your love but is glad you recognize her awesomeness. thanks! and tom is officially revealed. she says thank you so much! stay cool awesome.

anoymims- and of course the son of the demon with his demon son hanging out with his demon father. he's happy to see you too! haha I think Marco would be the more protective of the two and Star still has powerful magic. Even sol was ready to get back his favorite target. Who indeed and coming close if i follow the road map...*looks* i lost the map. have a great day!

cartoonlover- haha *spinning background with Marco's hand approaching then backing off* 1960's adam west. haha yep! i can't resist, they are super cute. Jack is cool with it but warns voodoo magic doesn't work with just one hair.

princessxgilex- thank you for the review and for everyone else, i am doing a jantom story for there's always a star in the future.

minthia- ride isn't over *going up on a higher hill* aww *hugs* it was for her little girl always diiiiiipppp DOOOOOwwwwN oooh awesome i really hope you do and i can't wait to see them! have a great day!

romantic sloth: wooo *Throws confetti*

weatherart- don't worry we are moving along on the feels train also Jack knows he's your favorite haha.

thedarkflame- haha i was glad i waited for the episode. I figured Star would learn to do magic on her own but i wanted to see what she would do. i was not disappointed. nope, she's lazy so she's coping being wand less and actually having to put effort in. haha yeah i love my random little cliffhangers. hope you enjoy future tom. haha this is more building action enjoy!

sir starcoshipper- where indeed. where indeed. welll if you are right or wrong i can't let you know but your theory is...interesting bwahaha. haha yes the navy and the nova corps heard the news. they are on their way to earth :) BYE FOR NOW!

princess- haha marco won't faint yet. Once he made the phone calls, he would duty first fainting second. Well for sure we got Nova, Connor and Sol. Nova was tara strong raven but i like Ginifer Goodwin or Judy Hopps for Novy. Connor we decided is Jason Ritter or Dipper and Sol is Asa Butterfield pre voice change. everyone else im not sure but i'd love to hear your suggestions! here's the next chapter! oh Connor would probably faint a second time. maybe. depends he's been through a lot today. kinda numbed. dont worry it happens to us all.

sparklesona- oh...should i return your new body? I'm really glad you enjoy this story! yeah i think covy is slowly killing everyone also HI! I KNOW YOU and i can't wait but take your time.

guest sorta: Mole people, mole people

grim- don't think about it too hard. just remember loves living on the weird, wild side. wait just a bit longer.

sara- thank you so much but please take your time, this story isn't going anywhere.

deth: oh hi deth, you know you didn't have to leave a review. aww *pats your head and hugs you* it's okay

Annabelle Flynn-hee thanks. i always try to develop my characters in small or large ways. haha lots of people shout that at haha wow really? thank you for your high praise. and it might be a while. sorry

Okay i am very very sorry for this rush but i'm actually leaving for the weekend and i'm a bit behind so here we go. Check out marionette-j2x for some amazing, amazing art work on tumblr seriously i owe deth so much! she really brought this story alive. my mrevaunit42 on tumblr has some random stuff including a really fun oneshot where nova and jack sing! you can find it on my there's always a star story.

Have a great amazing weekend and we really hope you enjoy the chapter. Deth has some great ideas, and i write them! Enjoy and stay awesome. all of you :)

* * *

The shift of the atmosphere was so instant and jarring, Connor felt a little uneasy about the father son reunion. Emotions ran rampant through the well furnished apartment, unrestrained and raw.

The love between the two was there and evident but there was also an awkwardness, a strange distance that pushed Tom and Jack away from one another.

"Umm...sorry the place is a mess. I wasn't expecting company. Your mother didn't tell me you were coming. Again." Tom muttered sheepishly, eying the room carefully to make sure there was no soul stealing artifacts within arms reach of his son or his best friend.

"umm..." Connor murmured, unsure what a demon considered messy as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

The room was surprisingly very Earth-like in its design: The walls were a faded blood red, white peeling trim covering the outlines of the doors and windows. There was a small kitchen off to the side with demonic looking appliances: A toaster built into a human skull, a towering blacken refrigerator with an absurd amount of spikes littering its surface, the stove was shaped like a massive monster's head, jaw wide and outstretched with the burners built directly within.

The living room was homey, cozy Connor would even say if it weren't for the massive stone fire pit the size of Mr. Diaz's car constructed into the far wall, its flames blazing brightly and basking the room in a warm and stuffy heat. Connor was surprised the couch, loveseat and wide screen flat screen television hadn't melted into a sludge given how close all of it was to the out of control yet contained blaze.

"It's okay dad" Jack muttered neutrally, completely unfazed by the sweltering heat "Is it okay if we lower the temperature? Connor is human after all."

"Hmm? Of course" Tom agreed hurriedly, raising an open palm towards the roaring flame before closing it into a fist.

There was a hiss like air being let out of a balloon as the fires died down rapidly, barely a flicker remained while the room began to cool and become humanly comfortable.

"T-thanks" Connor managed to squeak out before his dry throat seized up forcing a series of coughs to escape his lips

"I'll get you some water" Jack offered at once, raising his hand as Connor turned to interject "Nah uh, this is a demon apartment. Last thing I want you to do is accidentally drink from the river Styx or worse, blood."

"B...blood?" Connor choked but Jack had already disappeared into the kitchen.

The awkwardness in the room intensified due to Jack's absence and both Tom and Connor shuffled uneasily.

Connor glanced around the room now that the glow of the fire pit now longer basked everything in an intense, powerful light.

The walls were covered head to toe in various items and pictures: A rusty battle ax here, several nasty looking torture devices, chains, a bear trap. There was even a moving animatronic skeleton of a horse tucked in the corner.

"Who you calling animatronic?" The dead horse glared at Connor who responded with a defensive wave of his hands.

Ooookay, a real skeleton of a horse

Connor backed away from the angered dead horse

"I'm dead? Oh man, again?"

Connor ignored the undead horse, deciding it was better to keep his mouth shut than keep accidentally causing trouble.

Connor leaned forward to the nearest photo frame, wondering what sort of metal does the Underworld use to prevent the pictures from being destroyed or faded because the image within was perfectly fine. Not a single scorch mark or burn on its surface.

A younger Tom was frowning towards the camera, his entire posture tightened as if he coursing with pure, barely keep in check rage and Connor would've believed it if it wasn't for Tom's eyes. His face might've contorted into a frown but his red eyes were filled with a happiness that could not be denied and it was obvious the person next to him was the cause behind it.

Jack's mother Janna, roughly fourteen years or so, was in the frame as well right next to Tom. She shot her future husband a playful wink, a single brown iris staring sideways towards him, her long dark blue hair exposed as Janna's beanie hung loosely on one of Tom's horn.

"We were trying to spy on Marco and Star" Tom explained, approaching Connor carefully as not spook the young man "We heard they were going on a date. I was still trying to win Star back then and Janna always had an interest in Marco, so Janna agreed to help me stop the date. We showed up at the spot we heard they were going to but they never showed. I ended up hanging up with Janna all night. Looking back now, I was certain she made the whole thing up just to get me alone with her."

"you dated Mrs. Butterfly?" Connor muttered quizzically as his saliva began to moisten his throat. He was trying in vain to quiet his uneasy thoughts of Nova by learning all he could about Jack and his father.

"Once upon a time yeah." Tom answered with hint of nostalgia "She was pretty cool but not really right for me. Now Janna" Tom let out a dreamy sigh "she is completely wild, clever and totally hot. Figuratively and literal and has a brain for fashion."

Jack cleared his throat loudly, a red tinge covering his normally cleared cheeks

"Yeah, can we not refer to my mom using annnny of those words again? Awesome, thanks"

"But Jack!" Tom gave a cocky grin "It's true. I'm not supposed to lie about how I feel about my wife. I mean she's got the cutest caramel brown eyes."

"Dad..."

"And her hair when it's all messy? Completely jaw dropping"

"Dad"

"And when she wears that one dress? The olive green one with that cutie beanie of hers. The one that hugs her figure juuuust..."

"DAD!" Jack squeaked out, completely mortified at Tom's over detailed description about his mother "JUST STOP"

Tom gave a playfully grin to his son, ruffling his hair lovingly while proudly beaming at him.

There was an uneasy silence that had nothing to do with the previous discussion as Jack glanced to the floor tensely.

Tom's face turned serious, anxious and fearful as he removed his hand from Jack's head.

"So...does...your mother still have the anti-demon wards around the house?" Tom meekly asked

"Yeah...Star strengthened them 2 weeks ago..." Jack muttered softly in response "Still mad."

"I...see..." Tom simply, subconsciously fixing his tie "She doesn't let go of grudges lightly."

"No...she's scarier than you when she's mad" Jack said quietly, unable to look his father in the eye.

Tom let out a defeated sigh, rubbing his forehead tiredly at the news that his wife was still angry at him.

Perhaps it was because he could see how disheartened father and son, maybe it was just how weird it was to Jack so quiet instead filled to the brim of life or maybe it came down to the fact he just didn't like leaving problems unresolved without at least trying to fix it. Whatever the case, Connor spoke up after taking a healthy gulp of refreshing and luckily, normal water.

"Why is your wife mad at you?" Connor asked innocently.

Tom was surprised to hear the fleshbag talk in his presence despite the fact a very personal and private issue had been spoken in front of him. Most guest gracelessly disappear into the woodwork, ignoring the problem without ever putting their two cents in.

"Well" Tom cleared his throat, preparing a long winded speech about how the Underworld was no longer the same as it once was. How in the last 7 years Tom had to reform his kingdom by himself, renovating and modernizing the entire structure, reviewing each and every single request to ensure all creatures beneath the dimensions was treated fairly and justly or as much as they could be being denizens of demonic culture.

"7 years ago he turned in his kingdom into a corporation, UnderGround Inc. helping demonic beings and residents by agreeing not to cheat them too badly."

Tom's face fell, his pointed finger limp as Jack stole his thunder as effortlessly as his aunt Jackie so often did.

"Well it's a little more complex than that Jack" Tom said with a force smile

"Yep, he's no longer the king, he's the CEO"

"Well I am still in charge."

"You answer to a board of directors about how much pain and suffering you inflict."

Tom frowned "You are starting to sound like your mother."

Jack shrugged casually "just repeating what she'd say. She's just mad you aren't home anymore"

"Because she won't let me in!"

"And you traded being an awesome demon for being a heartless suit. She doesn't like lesser demons and corporate suits are the lowest of the low."

"ENOUGH!" Tom snarled, his tri-point hair catching ablaze as the firepit behind him rose high, charring the ceiling and causing Connor's eyeballs to dry at the intensity of the heat.

Tom might've lost his temper but he regained it just as quickly.

"Sorry, sorry I...I'm trying my hardest Jack but these things take time! I..."

"Look dad" Jack cut in with a hint of finality "I'm not here to talk about our unresolved issues, we need help."

"What kind of help? Normal help" Tom glanced over to Connor desperately trying to rub his eyes in hopes to get the tears flowing "or demonic... male umm...problems..."

"Nova has been kidnapped." Jack stated simply, trying to will down the blush that began to form from his father's implication.

"I see. Hold on." Tom answered calmly as he disappeared into his room, the sounds of painful grunting and swears filled the air while Connor turned to Jack, unsure what was going on.

"Can't your dad like call in the army? Any type of enforcement? I mean someone from the Underworld kidnapped Nova!"

Jack rolled his eyes "Connor, this isn't Mewni or Earth or even Meow Meow Pur, Dad might be in charge but he's got as much power as his subject want to give him. We demons, shades, wraiths and mole people" Jack let out a fearful shudder "especially mole people, we do what we want. Our laws are more like a treaty. We promise not to kill each other at the drop of a hat. If we want to help each other, it's out of the goodness of our hearts which many of us really don't have or because there's something in it for us."

"...so what's the point of putting people in charge?"

"Easy, they help keep us in check, we hate them and blame them for everything that goes wrong regardless how out of their control it was and they put up suggestions and rules that prevent open war.

"Soooo politics in general" Connor stared at the young demon completely deadpanned.

"Yep"

"GOT IT!" Tom called from the other room with a touch of satisfaction.

Tom strode back to the teens carrying a small brick shaped device, waving it triumphantly before handing it to Jack.

"What...is this?" Jack wondered staring at the massive brick-like phone with the faded word that ended with kia seared into its surface.

"This is a magic tracker. Any powerful sources of magic will appear on the screen and it'll lead you right to it. Well it'll tell you have far. No exact location."

"Powerful sources of magic?" Connor asked "Does Nova possess that much magic? I mean Sol can change his hair but I don't think..."

"I don't know about Nova" Tom admitted "But that wand is one of the most powerful magical artifacts in existence and this isn't powered or fooled by magic."

"And that's what this brick is tracking" Jack finished "Whoever took Nova wasn't expecting us to have a nonmagical way of tracking her, assuming they didn't get cocky and didn't bother to hide it."

Jack frowned at the sight of the magical tracker brick, the cogs in his mind turning and turning, unable to let go of a single thought that enthralled his brain.

"Dad...how did you get this?"

"Oh, it's a super rare artifact. About as rare as Star's wand."

"Dad... _why_ do you have this? You weren't tracking Star when you were..."

Tom coughed loudly, his glance shifting from his son to anywhere else.

"Annnnyway, are you two planning saving Nova just by yourselves?"

"We need to find her first" Jack answered plainly "Then we decide if we need..."

"No"

Father and Son turned to face the enraged Connor, his face twisted into a furious anger

"You know what happens when they take our princess?" Connor muttered softly "We go get her back and we burn whoever took her house to the ground."

Tom and Jack shared concerned yet impressed look amongst each other, surprised Connor could even feel such righteous fury.

"Well as much as I'd love to help you" Tom began anxiously.

"You can't, I know. It could be one of your sponsors and you did work hard to get this far." Jack explained with a small smile that was equally understanding and disappointed.

"...you know Jack..." Tom said calmly, giving his son a wide smile "That job offer is still open if you changed your mind."

Jack's grin turned into a frown upon realizing what his father was asking

"No" Jack answered flatly "Don't even ask."

"Come on!" Tom shouted indignantly, hands catching ablaze once more "When are you going to give up this magician thing up? You're the prince of the Underworld and you're doing parlor tricks for people who could never understand the true depth of your abilities!"

"Umm...guys? Nova is still in trouble and we really should get going..." Connor tried to chime in but this talk had been a long time coming and nothing was going to derail the disagreement, not even the safety of the future queen of Mewni.

"Not everyone wants to rule the world dad!" Jack yelled back, fist closed tightly "And what do you mean abilities? My tricks are 100% me. Not my demonic heritage. I WORK HARD TO DO WHAT I LOVE UNLIKE YOU!"

"Jack..." Tom murmured softly but Jack wasn't even close to done.

Jack reached into his vest pocket, drawing out his deck of card and fanning them out with such speed and determination Connor thought he was suddenly going to catch on fire.

Jack expertly shuffled the deck one handed, showing an inhuman level of flexibility in doing so while motioning with his hand to his father that he watch his act carefully.

With a flick of his wrist the deck disappeared up Jack's sleeve without nary a budge shown. Jack held a cocky gaze as he stretched out his other arm, something red and tall slipping into his waiting palm.

"Ta da!" Jack held up a red rose before blankly realizing he hadn't done the trick right. With a shake of his head and wrist, the flower caught on fire though it failed to burn.

Tom looked impressed but curious as well "What is with you and roses? You always uses roses."

"I like roses okay!" Jack shouted, infuriated lack of approval by his father "They smell nice and it's a great icebreaker!"

"And the fire? That's not exactly a human thing."

"Ugh" Jack clutched his hands into fists "It's for dramatic effect! It didn't actually affect my physical skills with the trick. Dad, I'm going to be a magician, okay?"

Tom said nothing, opting to disappear into his room once more

Jack extinguished the flame, silent and clearly filled with conflicting emotion. He turned to face Connor, his face slipping into indifference "Come on. We got what we need...let's go..."

"Not so fast!"

Tom raced into the room, nearly tripping over his own feet as he couldn't see where he was going with the large pile of armor and weapons he held in his arms.

"You can't leave without protection!" Tom huffed and puffed, dumping the contents onto the floor and weakly clutching his back "Oh man I got to get back in shape.

Jack and Connor stared at the pile of armor and weapons plopped down at their feet, wondering what Tom expect them to do with such things.

"Look Jack we might not agree..." Tom timidly told his song, looking off to the side sheepishly "but I do love you...and your mother. Even if I can't help myself, I want to be with you in spirit. Here."

Jack was unsure how to react when Tom scooped up the tacky, faded blood red demonic armor and placed it into Jack's unready arms.

Tom stared proudly at Jack "This is your grandfather Hades armor. He used it...well" Tom pursed his lips "For less savory goals but still it is very powerful and durable."

Jack could feel the tears swell in his eyes though he struggled vainly to keep his emotions under wraps.

Connor couldn't help but smile (despite the tense mission they were on) at Jack as he dropped the revered and beloved armor onto the floor and hugged his father tightly around the waist. For ancient and respected armor, neither Father nor son cared much as they embraced each other lovingly, Tom patting Jack's playfully as Jack softly punched Tom's shoulder.

Connor glanced down at the armor Tom brought for him. While Jack's was clearly elegant (yet distastefully tacky) and demonic in design, Connor's was far more simpler, lacking the showmanship of the other armor.

Which suited Connor just fine. He wasn't much for drawing attention to himself and even Jack's grandfather's armor gave the whole "Give them a show" vibe. It seems Jack's entire demonic line was about going big or going home.

Despite the fact Connor had never seen the armor before in his life, there was a strange familiarity to it, like a memory long since passed and the butterfly insignia each piece held seemed like an obvious but elusive answer.

"Wait a minute..." Connor muttered to himself, running his fingers gently over the symbol "This is Mewman armor! This is from Mewni"

Connor looked up only to find father and son hovering nearby, a wistful look spreading over Tom's face.

"Well since demon armor is very...painful for nondemons to wear, I figured I finally get some more use out of this old armor Star gave me as a wedding gift."

"Wedding gift?" Connor repeated quizzically "Why would Mrs. Diaz give your armor?"

"Well..." Tom coughed, his cheeks darken with a pink tinge at the question "Janna can be a little...rough in her more... _intimate_ actions."

Jack nodded in agreement before the full implication of what Tom was saying reached his brain.

"AH! DAD! JUST STOP! NO! UGH PLEASE JUST...oh god..."

"Your mom likes to say Oh Tom"

"DAD!"

* * *

The room was solid brick though which color Nova couldn't tell you due to the fact it was covered in that "dank, darkish blue, abandon ye hope here" prison hue. There was no windows except a small, rat sized hole in the ceiling that let in the barest amount of moonlight through. The only exit was a massive and heavy looking wooden door that was easily bigger than Nova's entire frame though Nova doubt she could open it with her strength alone. Not that she'd even get the chance given the fact her legs were shackled by thick, impressive looking chains embedded deeply in the closest wall.

Nova touched the spot where her headband would normally be, its loss far more devastating than she expected it to be as she tried to remember how she ended up here but the memory escaped her. She barely remembered shooing Connor away to talk to Missy when she ran into her dad.

No...no that wasn't right. She thought it was her dad at first glance and to be fair in that moment of weakness is when her kidnapper struck. When she saw Marco in that first second, he was solid and real like he was indeed in front of her but as another moment passed, the person's disguise slipped. Marco's image became see through as if he was a ghost and hidden within was a teen probably no older than Nova herself.

After that, Nova lost track what happened and the next thing she knew, she was stuck in this prison cell: wandless, headband less with no clue where exactly she was.

Nova let a tense sigh, a wave of emotions washing over her as she struggled to keep herself calm.

"It's okay Nova" she told herself worriedly "Dad and mom probably know you're gone. Even lovey dovey Connor would've figured out you up and vanished by this point...ugh maybe a little long if Missy's really distracting him. It's okay. It's okay. You are fine...Everything will be okay."

"You are right, everything is okay my princess."

Nova jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of a figure in the doorway. She had been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't realized someone had open the door.

Nova threw a death glare towards the mysterious person, struggling to keep her face indifferent while she battled away the intense fear bubbling in the pit of her stomach.

I am a Butterfly, I am a Butterfly, I am a Butterfly Nova chanted to herself.

"Yes you are..." The figure's smooth voice added in, his silhouette still shadowed but it was clear he was smugly smirking.

Nova's face registered no emotion even though the panic she felt had just been cranked up further. Had this person read her mind? Was it possible her own thoughts were no longer safe?

"Oh excuse me" The figure murmured politely "Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself."

The figure stepped away from the shifting darkness and allowed the hallway torches to illumination him.

He matched Nova both in age and height. He had dark blue eyes with black as night hair with some three long strains hovering over his face like a claw mark and a rather particular strain of hair pointing up and away from the rest of his skull like a tail feather. He wore a blue hoodie with white trims, hood and pockets as a matching undershirt peeked at her from the article of clothing. His pants were a darker blue and his mostly red with outlines of white shoes completed the look. Over all he looked completely and utterly harmless.

Which made Nova wonder what horrible secret he was hiding.

"Who are you?" Nova snarled, her brave face fading away each passing second.

"I am...Kim" The young teen replied, giving Nova a respectful bow.

Nova appeared unimpressed "Okay seriously? Do you know who I am? Who you messed with? I'm..."

"Nova..." Kim muttered smoothly, throwing Nova a frighteningly knowing look "A worthy name for the Butterfly dynasty and exactly who I need for my...special guest."

* * *

and there's the big reveal. Kim has been hinted at in the previous chapters. kim is also Deth's OC and is really fun to write.

Deth: "You guys think theyre gonna love this next chapter? Aww i feel so nervous..."

* Jack shows up*

Jack : relax they totally will love the next chapter

Deth: "Yah think so?"

Jack: of course, I'm in it and me and four eyes are on our way to save his girlfriend.

Deth: "riiiggghht...right... Well, enough with the dramas!" *puts right arm on E and left to Jack*

E, Deth, and Jack: " ON WITH THE ARC!" *peace signs*

when i write it haha


	13. Once in motion, stays in motion

Hello fanfiction! Mr.E here! I hope you all had a great couple of weeks as i worked on this. thank you for every favorite and follow and review, seriously they make me so happy and experience a emotion i am told pride. it feels weird.

a special thanks to the fandom-lover- yep Kim is finally revealed but what is going to happen. trust me even deth's spoilers don't show all we got planned. Hmm i wonder if she is. i guess we'll find out and of course, lots of covy because you guys must be missing some. in order Connor will save his princess, jack will always tease and maybe more about kim

SonicElite- thank you for your kind words. here's hoping but honestly I can only do my best and nothing more or less. yeah he was hinted a few time and Deth explained how he acts so i think i got him down pretty well. haha i take great pride in being surprising. haha alright, fair enough he is your adopted son. Markeey might let you borrow the flame thrower if you agree to roast some potatoes. i hope so too but alas we can only do our best. hope you enjoy it and have a great week!

smitty theories: thanks! deth also says thanks! haha of course! i need to embarrass Jack some more. he's always cool and calm, its time to shake him up a few times. haha no, he was too busy trying to remember what was water and water was forgetful mist, the drink you won't remember. well i never said there wouldn't percy. mine too. a massive geek of greek myths if you remember one of my early always a star chapters. haha be a funny tom joke and might be canon here. haha take your time take care you two!

finn; thanks! i hope you enjoy this one

fereality: haha theres a bit more in the future and im glad. have a great week!

princessxgilex- thank you for the review.

Starco shipper- i would never laugh at that. it was a good theory. yeah sorry, story says wait yo but jantom is good too. honestly its built in a way i could end any time after the current arc but i really wanna keep it going, doing character episodes fillers and progressing the longer story but we'll see. for now no i don't plan to end it any time soon. thanks!

Anoymims- haha right? i think they would be the perfect couple, especially after seeing the newest episode. He sold that for them if that helps a little. haha its my jazz teacher's motto and what he shoved into me so i live by it though honestly, hades said it first. haha i couldn't resist making that the reason for the gift :) you should be very afraid. i love my children but i am a story teller first. aww thank you (bows) oh i also responded to your ask with a little preview of my welcome to night au. its buried in my tumblr but i hope you enjoy it! have a great week!

princess; aww thank you and thank you for your review! it means a lot to me. haha he is very well designed and Connor is out for blood. haha

Minthia- that's good! :) haha yeah he is the main bad guy of the arc...or is he? yeah i figured it was time to let out who was jack's father in case some people dont see deth's tumblr and nice development haha its okay. im trash too. that's how covy was born. love of starco. literally they were my version of starco. *rolls up in a dumpster* i've been here a while. aww i sorry. there is some cute covy but not much. sorry story. have a great week! *HUG*

thedarkflame- haha well that's not exactly out of the question yet...bwahaha. haha yeah she was telling about kim and i thought it be the best fit. she did a great job with his personality. yes yes he is that boy. haha i know right? and after the last episode, i ship them even more now. still hoping for light janna flirting with marco. its just too fun to see but starco forever. thanks i tried not to but i wasn't sure where to take this next chapter but i finally decided and here it is! have an awesome week!

cartoonlover- oh okay! making sure. you got studying to do girl. haha fangirl away you don't have to leave the room for that. nah,haha it was a joke i couldn't resist passing up and it sounds like a janna thing jack says he is honored to be your senpai. Deth thanks you too because i know. she's also probably blushing. safe voodooing.

marionettej2x- believe, everyone loves the arc *pats head

weatherart; haha i think it's too late for that. bye! watch out for spoilers

guest sorta; call in markeey. okay written down haha. dont worry im sure the ship is safe...for now.

kittycat: sure, heres a pillow and you know he's going to save his princess. umm not yet though but i'll let you know

cutepichu64: aww thank you and thanks for the review. (haha yeah i couldn't resist. besides a certain pine might be showing up later now. Connor is kinda like his biggest fan) yeah being a teen is rough and confusing and i really wanted to showcase it here and the whole best thing is my crush is a really common thing which makes sense. haha Jack is hoping it's before the end of the year or he's losing a lot of money. that is a pretty good description of them. I wanted connor to be different than Marco so the first key was to make him less physically in the fighting department then i worked my way back from there. as for nova, well i love her type of sassy, strong yet gentle character troupe and that was basically marco mixed with Star. yeah i mean they were literally made for each other. the real question how long it takes. no worries, i'll write them down and who knows i can use them soon. you readers come up with some amazing ideas. :) and i loved your story keep it up!

Nelly: you are very welcome, thanks for the review :)

grim: no i did too which is why i wrote a bit of it. Jantom is pretty cute. khaaaaaaaan! i mean kiiiiiim!

Jayanna- haha its okay, it happens. haha mental image is what jack's trying to avoid.

tundermist- things happened hopefully that can be resolved later. sorry that's how stories work, cliffhangers. haha cliffhangers. umm anyway. im sure she wont, i work for her giving starco insurance.

addict; you're not the only that doesn't like missy but you are the first one i heard that wants to punch her im glad you love the story and sorry that's how story telling works.

anoynymouswriteres- hi i hope you enjoyed the story and right now

so here it is, the next chapter. sorry it took so long. i kept going back and forth how i wanted to do this. my major weakness is filler story plots. you know a chapter is technically filler yet deals with the story. i kept going over and over but i finally settled on this. I won't keep you any longer. I hope you enjoy and have a great week. I am planning on updating this story this weekend but we'll see. i got a few other things on my list. I own Nova, Connor and Jack. Deth owns Kim and the maid who i will not yet reveal. enjoy!

Update: man i was tired yesterday i nearly forgot a few things. A special thank you to Bernadette whose came up with the idea for the arc and seriously has some epic drawings of nova vs including a recently posted posters for the Arc over on her tumblr marionette-j2x. also in case you didn't know, nova and the crew also have their own tumblr at Nova-friends if you want to submit anything, questions, art, questions etc etc.

* * *

Nova stared blankly ahead, unsure what emotion was more powerful at the moment: her surprise or her anger.

Nova glanced around the spacious room, taking in the sheer size of the dinning room she was currently forced to sit in: The ceiling was high above her head and only a pair of wings or spell would get her to that height. There were large arc windows that showed the barren, shadowy land beyond the manor she found herself in. The walls and décor were very haunted mansion: Suits of armor wielding sharpened and deadly looking weaponry, dark shaded browns walls with elegantly crafted furniture littered the room. Menacing demonic artifacts and statues hung on the walls, their empty stare making Nova annoyed.

Nova, herself, sat at a rather cozy table, her shackled legs and arms firmly attached to the chair she was involuntarily occupying, restricting her escape though allowing rather comfortable movement.

Nova glanced down at her meal, trying to ignore how delicious it appeared and how tempting the smell was.

"If you do not eat, the master will be displeased."

Nova looked towards the person who brought her here, a little caught off guard that Kim had servants to carry out his will. He seemed like a loner type but evidently Nova was wrong.

The maid appeared young but she wasn't sure of anything anymore. Everything about her was blue, blue, blue. She was a bit taller than Nova with her medium length dark blue hair styled in a rather curious way: Two massive hair buns on either side of her skull almost like Mickey Mouse ears, her innocent face framed in a gentle yet small smile as a strain of hair hung over her forehead. There were two more strains of hair coming down from each bun like spider legs. Her traditional maid outfit was just completely blue with trims of white here and there. She also wore elbow length white arm sleeves and leggings.

Though Nova felt strangely at ease with the maid, there was a strange disconnect between the maid's treatment and the general fact Nova had been kidnapped. There was something off but Nova lacked both the mental or magically ability to determine what that could be.

"I ensure you it is not poisoned or otherwise tampered with. That would be against my master's will." The maid responded with a cold yet warm tone.

"...Why did you kidnap me?" Nova asked, trying to keep her simmering anger from boiling over.

"Please eat princess. All will be explained shortly." the maid responded, bowing respectfully before taking her place at a nearby corner, patiently waiting for orders.

Nova glanced down on the food, her mouth watering at the sight of it.

As much as she wanted nothing to do with the meal, she knew she would need her strength if she hoped to escape.

Nova sighed in defeat, trying to ignore the churning guilt of her stomach as she gingerly picked up the fork and spoon the maid laid out before her.

* * *

"Connor, keep up you're acting like a tourist" Jack called behind as he strategically moved through the horde of zombies that wandered the streets aimlessly.

Connor politely waved the zombies off as they began shoving their wares in his face, moaning their products names as if to catch the young inventor's attention but each vendor failed to realize if they all spoke at once, their voices overlapped and created a morbid orchestra of dead, lifeless noise.

"Puuuupppies...puuuuppies!"

Connor shook his head as a tiny three headed dog was presented to him invitingly.

"Voodoo dolls...VOOOOODOOOOO DOOOOOLLLS" Connor nearly lost his lunch at the sight of the peeling, rotting arm offering a small, creepily accurate doll of himself.

"Photonic relays, photonic relays!"

"Okay, seriously guys I...wait" Connor's head snapped back and forth probing for the zombie that finally peaked his interest "Wait, for real Photonic relays? Like actual ones?"

Connor desperately searched the sea of decaying corpses but the voices hadn't stopped. In fact they had only grown in intensity that they realized their prey had finally stopped.

"KIIIITTIES!" one bellowed loudly

"GRAVE ROBBING TOOL KITS!" another cried out indignantly

"BURGERS!" a third cried cheerfully as he flipped a meat onto waiting burns, his chef hat comically resting on his head.

"Shoo, shoo! GO AWAY!" Jack came back screaming at the undead "Go bother someone else. Oh!" Jack widened his eyes in mock surprise " Look, there's a demon! I bet he's rich!"

The zombies voices hushed upon hearing the word rich. They looked at one another thoughtfully before glancing over to the demon Jack pointed out. He didn't seem like much: Tank top, jeans, tri-horns with two protruding fangs rising from his jawline. An average denizen of the underworld.

The zombies shrugged before lurching their way over towards the unsuspecting demon, their once deafening voices now quieted to a muted murmuring while they slowly crept on their newest prey.

Connor took a deep breath now that he was free from the claustrophobic grip of the zombies.

Jack raised an eyebrow at Connor who merely smiled sheepishly in return.

"Come on tourist." Jack told Connor with an eye roll. Jack turned around on the cracked pavement of the city, gaze focused as the magical tracker began to beep softly, the bright yellow arrow glowing on its surface pointing straight ahead.

Connor glanced backwards towards the horde of zombies that now descended upon the pitiful demon, barraging him with their stock in an enclosed circle.

"So" Connor asked causally "Metaphor for the rampant consumerism of the world's corporations or the endless thirst for products that no one needs found on online services that we buy to fill the plateau of consistency and staleness?"

"Yes"

Connor couldn't help but soak in the foreign yet familiar setting that was the underworld.

Despite what he was expecting, everything was _not_ on fire but there was plenty of it around.

The entirety of the underworld was located in a massive cavern that might as well been the size of the Earth. Airplanes, winged beasts and demons and skydivers soared and sailed through the smoggy air without a care in the world.

The city itself was...well a city. Massive blood red and obsidian black stone buildings towered high above the paved streets. There were even cars and buses cruising along on a cobbled yet smooth roads though Connor could easily confuse them for Halloween parade floats and celebration vehicles: Dark hearses with countless spikes covering its surface, motorcycles whose tires were blazing with eternal flames and a skeleton in a bus cap was dropping off and picking up people in a massive, almost humorous bus shaped like a cackling skull.

"You know I wasn't expecting the underworld to be so...much like Earth." Connor admitted as he and Jack made their way through the crowd streets "I was expecting like...I don't know...undead horses and dead, twisted trees. Huts maybe?"

Connor marveled at a rather gloomy red carriage being driven by a pair of skeletal horses caught up in a disagreement about if the grinning ghosts or the demonic infernos were the better bloodball team.

"Everyone expects that" Jack replied, eyes completely focused on the magical tracker and not the city "But the Underworld evolves with the dimensions, mostly Earth. Every dimension is connected to the Underworld and the Underworld is part of every dimension. Don't worry, it'll get more feral when we leave the city limits. Don't let this pocket of familiar civilization fool you, it's still pretty wild down here. We're more akin to the post apocalypse than everyday normal life."

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air and Connor could hear the stampede of countless size feet, hooves and talons scrapping against the ground, racing in some direction though their conversation was civil and calm.

There was a deep, low rumbling that blanketed the city and before Connor could ask, something came crashing down into the street in front of the duo.

It smashed a crater into the center of the road, upturning and loosening pavement and concrete. A hand the size of Connor's head reached from the hole, its pale skin bulging with muscle and veins. It grasped the edges of the crater only for the soft material to crumble in its hands.

Connor stared dumbfounded, unable believe what he was witnessing crawling out.

Jack finally glanced upwards, taking notice of the thing barring their path and he muttered a curse under his breath.

"Yeah no that's a berserker" Jack grabbed Connor's collar, pulling him along as the two took shelter in a nearby alley.

"A..a what?!" Connor shouted, a deep sense of fear and dread overtaking his entire being.

"It's a demon" Jack muttered nonchalantly, peering carefully out of their hiding spot "Probably had too much to drink. Don't worry the knights will be here soon to take care of it."

Connor and Jack were silent as an earth shaking roar was let loose, bouncing off the urban landscape and echoing for miles. There was a crackling of a megaphone and an authoritative voice boomed at the demon to step down. The demon proceed to shout that it was his right to rage and then charged head first into the waiting battalion.

"Ugh, it'll be a few minutes" Jack complained, leaning against the wall as the sounds of metal clashing against metal filled the air "Seriously I hate when this happens."

"...Jack?"

Jack caught the curiosity in Connor's voice "Connor?"

Connor frowned, looking uneasy about asking about whatever was on his mind.

"Come on four eyes, just ask me already. I'm not your girlfriend, no point to get tongue tied here."

"Why didn't you tell me you were a demon?"

There was no accusation or hurt in Connor's voice but Jack still fidgeted anxiously, his face relaxed though his body tensed against his will.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to Jack"

Jack shook his head "I mean it's not exactly something you pop into a conversation, you know? Oh hey Connor you know how we've been friends since 5th grade? Well I'm a half demon so you know all that jazz."

Connor raised an eyebrow "What do I care? My best friend is partly from another dimension, I have a robotic pet owl and I'm from Canada. So my other best friend is half demon. I think it's cool."

Jack could feel his cheeks turn warm at Connor's admission and despite his reservations he couldn't help but return Connor's mischievous smile.

"Well I know that now" Jack said calmly "Still, not something I like to advertise. My dad is pretty much the head of the Underworld. Makes me and my mom a prime target."

Connor's grin turned into a small frown "Were you in hiding?"

Jack chuckled good naturally "My mom hide? She's scarier than my dad. No we just wanted a change of scenery. A lot of underworld people are jerks and selfish. I think my mom wanted me to grow up in her hometown. Probably hoping something there would rub off on me and she probably missed her friends. Lord knows she misses dad."

"Then why doesn't she let him come home?" Connor asked, confused what possible reason could justify such a response.

Jack opened his mouth but before he could respond, there were cries of the fallen demon weakly moaning in the background as a harsh and annoyed voice read the demon his rights.

"That's our cue. Come on, touchy feely bonding is over. We need to find your princess."

* * *

Nova stared daggers towards her captor despite the fact he hadn't actually done anything yet.

She was still trapped in the dinning room but rather then the pleasant yet quiet presence of the maid, she was now forced deal with the person who kidnapped her.

Kim stared happily her direction, keeping his distance from the angry princess but refusing to move his gaze anywhere else.

"So..." Nova began, no longer being able to take the awkward silence she found herself "Is this when you try to tell me to give up and how nobody will find me and how soon your plan will be complete?"

"No"

Nova narrowed her eyes at Kim's response, unable to keep the sass out of her disbelieving tone "No, really? I mean you are just oozing classic bad guy. I mean nice hood, I prefer red myself, but you got the checklist down: Calm yet creepy, the gawky staring, servants and of course KIDNAPPING THE PRINCESS OF MEWNI AND EARTH! Kinda screams I'm evil."

"I'm not evil my princess"

Nova stared dead panned at Kim "Don't call me princess."

"I'm simply engaging in hostile negations" Kim continued, completely ignoring Nova's outburst "After all you are quite pretty my princess."

"ooooh thanks" Nova sarcastically responded "I just really feel sooooo pretty chained to a chair across from a madman."

"I ensure you no harm will befall you..."

"If I cooperate, right?" Nova finished for Kim with a snarl

"Oh, I meant at all" Kim smiled politely "I mean if you cooperate that would make my life so much easier but I understand I came on quite...forceful."

"You think?"

"But still trust me princess, your safety is very important to me. The utmost importance actually."

Nova glared at his declaration "Why me?"

Kim shook his head "Not you per say but I do need your wand."

Nova couldn't stop the fear she had been concealing from creeping onto her face, her body chilled with fright.

"Yes" Kim nodded calmly "The Mewni wand. My patron has been waiting for it for such a long time. Ever since your mother came to Earth actually."

Nova struggled to control her breathing at the revelation Kim was so causally revealing.

"You see my patron needs the wand for a very special reason...and a Butterfly."

Nova gulped, taking long deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself but she was making little progress as Kim went on.

"He has sent his followers to me to ensure we do not lose you. They have waited quite a long time for this and they are eager to ensure you do not cut your stay with us short."

"S-so what? Going to offer me up as a snack or something?"

Kim frowned, almost like the idea of feeding Nova to some rabid beast was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Of course not princess." Kim told Nova as he rose from his seat "That is the last thing I would want to do. I mean my patron wanted your mother given how rich her blood is with the Mewni royal bloodline"

Nova flinched, the feelings inferiority creeping into the corners of her mind. She was only half Mewnian, half of her mother...

"But I assured him you would work just as well. He is quite angry with your family given how long he has had to wait but I managed to convince him that if you helped me, married me and join us, there was no need for anything unpleasant to happen."

Nova was shaking terribly but she tried to steel her resolve "Marriage? Dude we just met Despite what your boss said, no kidnapping is not the way to a girl's heart. In fact, it's usually why a girl starts avoiding you and issues a restraining order."

"You don't have to love me right away" Kim murmured softly as he inched closer "But this could safe your life."

"Look, as tempting as all is, I'm going to take my chances with my family and friends finding me first. Sorry but thanks anyway."

Kim stared at Nova passively, dark blue meeting electric.

"Ah" Kim nodded in understanding as if he suddenly solved a difficult and complex puzzle "I see...someone else has already snared your heart."

Nova chuckled nervously, the thought of Roman filling her mind and chasing away any doubt she held for the moment.

Kim stared deeply into Nova's eyes, searching, studying "I see...a moon...a crescent moon."

Nova let out a gentle gasp, her hearts faintly glowing in the dim dinning room and before she could stop herself, she faintly whispered "Connor..."

"Connor?" Kim repeated smugly "Ah...the inventor. Yes I remember him."

Nova snapped out of her stupor, growling furiously towards the demon "Don't you dare do anything to him or I swear I WILL KILL YOU."

Kim looked unamused "I'm a demon. Do you know how many death threats I get a day?"

Nova just kept glaring, hand clenching the armrests of the chair in a wild fury "Stay away from him."

"you care deeply for him yet refuse to tell him the truth."

Nova looked away, conflict and confusion pushing at her from all sides.

"You know you cannot selfishly horde him. He is not yours if you do not claim him."

Nova refused to look at Kim. She simply tightened her mouth and stubbornly kept her stare away.

Kim chuckled playfully "You know what a crescent moon means? Waning...as in ending."

"S-so?" Nova's head snapped towards Kim "It's just a shirt! He's worn that forever. I mean he has two different colors for the same design, it's a bit obsessive honestly."

"The real question is if Connor's relationship with you is ending."

"Psst" Nova scoffed, confidence renewing her resolve "No way, he's my best friend and he'll always be my best friend."

"And what if he leaves?"

Nova stared dumbfounded at Kim's words. She heard the words, she knew what they meant but she could not for the life of her process what Kim was trying to imply. Connor would never leave her. Never...right?

"Connor would never leave" Nova stated "He wouldn't. his home is Echo Creek. He would never leave it, never leave me!"

Kim shrugged casually "He is a bright star and there are many who do anything to get their hands on one."

Nova could feel a sense of dread overtake her. Connor may not have a high opinion of himself but she did hear from his mother he was gaining all sorts of attention from a lot of schools looking to add him to their collection. What if he did leave her? Could she really simply let him go?

"...I've upset you" Kim noticed, his voice heavy with shame "I deeply apologize...it...it was not my intention...I...I'll give you some moments to yourself."

Nova said nothing as Kim left, the thud, thud, thud of his footsteps retreating into the hall.

Nova just sat there, motionless as she tried to piece together what was going and how to handle all this new information.

* * *

"Connor! HURRY UP! CONNOR!" Jack cried behind him only for silence to respond.

Jack dove towards the floor, sliding across the dusty hill and kicking a cloud of dirt just in time to confuse the pouncing hellhound.

The hellhound let out a surprised yelp as it tumbled down the sandy dune.

Jack let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off his brow as he nestled himself against the ground.

A sudden realization forced Jack sit up in a panic

"CONNOR!" Jack shouted unexpectedly and turned to search for his lost friend only to find himself staring face to face with another hellhound.

The animal was canine in nature but nothing else was remotely dog about it: Its skin was a dark, mottling gray with a skeletal like armor superimposed over it. The skull like mask it wore over its head was rather frightening though Jack had seen much worse. Its empty, milky white eyes stared intently at Jack, waiting for any sign of movement.

Magician and demonic animal looked at one another, each waiting for the other to make their move.

The hellhound went first, open its jaw wide and snarling viciously at Jack, its back lighting ablaze with a bluish white flame.

Jack yelled back, his pointy fangs barred freely alongside his regular, tombstone shaped human ones.

The dog stared in shock, unsure what kind of creature it was trying to eat.

Jack lashed out, pushing down on the hellhound's snout while he stood onto his feet.

The hellhound let out a sneeze, a trail of fire leaking from his nostrils onto the floor. Jack felt a twinge of pity for it but that was before it sneezed again, nearly engulfing his clothes with its flames.

"Yeah, pity gone" Jack muttered low as he reached into his pocket and tossed something suddenly towards the hellhound.

The hellhound reared back reflexively and let loose a spark of fire from its mouth in response.

Jack's rose sailed through the flames and was quickly burnt to a crisp. Before the harsh wind could scatter the ashes, the flakes of burnt flora landed directly into the hellish creature's eyes.

Jack ran for it as the hellhound was blinded for a moment.

The Underworld landscape was as a desolate and empty as one would come to expect. Blackish purple sloping hills of dirt and dust with bent, half dead trees that littered the surface with random pockets of fire, water and acid everywhere.

Jack raced down hill, arms flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to keep his balance as he tried his hardest to get as far away from the hellhound as possible.

Something bumped into him but before Jack could dropkick it into the next century, Connor let out a wheezing cough, one hand instinctively holding onto Jack's shoulder while the other wiped the soot off his face.

"Connor!" Jack cried joyfully "You're alive! Nova isn't going to kill me!"

"Less talking" Connor cough before pushing Jack further down the hill "More running"

There was an earsplitting howl and the boys turned to the source of the noise and quickly regretted doing so: at the top of the hill, circling their blinded leader, were 5 newly arrived hellhounds, seemingly glaring at Connor and Jack for what they had done to the alpha.

"Okay, keep running" Jack shouted.

"Where?" Connor looked to Jack only to find him scurrying away "hey!"

Connor quickly chased after the magician as the alpha finally removed the ash out of his eyes.

With a might roar, the remaining members of pack lunged forward.

"Jack, we can't keep outrunning them!" Connor yelled, resisting the urge to glance backwards.

"Well technically I don't have to outrun them, I just have to outrun you!"

"Jack!"

"Kidding, kidding. Mostly" Jack muttered. Connor glared at his best friend and punched his shoulder roughly.

"Okay okay! We just need to make it to the base of the hill."

Connor wasn't sure what was worse: The fact that at the base of the hill was what appeared to be a cliff or the look of apprehension on Jack's face when he mentioned the plan.

"Jack" Connor asked worriedly as the cliff side rapidly approached "What's at the bottom of the cliff?"

Jack shuddered against his will but refused to answer Connor's question, opting to instead focus solely on the drop.

"Jack..." Connor looked between the empty air ahead and Jack "JACK!"

"Just jump four eyes!"

Jack went first, throwing himself as far as he could off the cliffside to the unknown below, muttering some sort of prayer as he fell.

Connor wasn't as eager to follow Jack's suicidal leap and nearly skidded to a stop when something heavy collided with his back and pushed him over the edge.

It was a hellhound that managed to catch up but it had been barreling after its escaping prey at full speed and fully expected the one with four eyes to jump after his demon friend. What it had not expected was for him to halt completely. The hellhound turned away, trying to run back up the hill before it was too late but it had already gained too much momentum.

The hellhound slid across the loose gravel and dirt but before it could fall to its doom, it ran into the four eyes one and knocked him over the cliff instead. The hellhound sighed in relief before deciding to take a nap in the dirt after such a harrowing experience.

Connor closed his eyes as he fell, unsure what horrible fate waited for him below.

Connor nearly gasped outloud when he hit the chilly water but he managed to cover his mouth in time to prevent the loss of precious air.

Connor sunk to the bottom of the pit quickly and the moment his feet were firmly planted on the ground, he pushed upwards towards the surface.

Connor took a large gulp of air when his head popped up above the water. He took a small comfort that pit wasn't too large. In fact he could stood comfortably and the water would only reach his shoulders.

"Jack? JACK!" Connor shouted, his eyes frantically searching for the missing magician "JACK, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Jack broke the surface of the water near Connor, his face contorted in a mixture of panic and anger

"Jack? JACK!" Connor called for his attention "Jack what is it? Is the water going to make us forget who we are? Is it really human tears? Is home to a sea monster?! WHAT IS IT JACK?"

"UUUUUUGH I hate water pits!" Jack complained, his face finally settling into annoyance

"Why?!" Connor asked in a panic

"Because they always ruin my clothes" Jack whined, looking down at his now soaking outfit "Mom's going to kill me when she finds out I got them this wet."

Connor just stared in disbelief at Jack "...seriously?"

"What? It's not my fault my mom is world famous fashion designer. Do you know what this stuff is made out of? Annoying crap, that's what. "

Connor was ready to throttle Jack when the two heard a distant yet clear thunk.

The two stared at each other, unsure what was going to happen.

At first, aside from the low whining from the hellhounds above them, there was no sound. But then came a sharp, steadily increasing whistle that filled the air.

"...there isn't like a whistling terror bird or something, is there?" Connor asked carefully, slowly glancing around for any sign of the creature.

"Don't be stupid Connor" Jack answered matter of fact "Everyone knows it's a whistling ladybug. no...no that sounds more like..."

There was a flash of metal that fell in between the two, a metallic cylinder with fins, its back still smoking as it slowly sunk deeper into the watery pit.

"Yeah...it's a that." Jack pointed unhelpfully to the strange item.

Connor stared Jack slowly "Jack was that a...?"

There was a muted pop and before either could react, the water shifted without warning, churning wildly as it knocked over Connor and Jack with a powerful wave that expanded from where the item disappeared.

Connor took a large gasp of air before he was dragged underneath, his glasses slipping off his face as he tumbled through the darkness of the water.


	14. I'm not saying it's bad but it's bad

Hello everyone, Mr.E here and I'm here to end the covy drought is apparently is a thing. i did not think it was a thing. i did not realize it was a thing. I wouldn't have ever guessed it was a thing. anyway thank you for every follow, favorite and review, they mean the world to me.

a special thanks to Finn: have you read my stories? i am super dramatic sometimes. haha glad you like it

Fandomlover- revive* also no biting. yet. also thank you so much for the happy birthday! it means a lot to me.

thedarkflame thank you so much for your awesome review. details are key to filling out a story and i needed to describe the underworld to properly show my picture. yeah i try not to give all the information to you readers, makes it more fun to see what you all come up with. she was a little but she couldn't show kim that. intensity at half setting. that is a good question and you're going to have to wait. haha because Deth's oc are packing heat and i love comedy even with my drama. thank you so much! yeah i think it's because i'm so focus on details i miss stuff but oh well, i keep getting better and ill try harder to catch them but im glad you are still enjoying the story! thank you for kind review.

author smimph: yeah i can be abit brutal. or alot. gotta be careful, i accidental trigger depressions. yep waning is important and for a good reason. me i like my character shift and change and usually their appearances reflect that. hmm perhaps it is or is not. haha thanks and here is the next chapter

sparklesona; umm...sorry. here's the new chapter...you...you okay?

fereality- haha well who knows, Connor is pretty impressive. maybe he made something but can't use it yet. for sure it is not ludo since he was there last week trying to get the wand and kim doesnt seem like the type who would follow the little monster anyway. it's all over online, you should find the episodes, they are good

anonymims: yes and im happy you liked my story! yes yes you did :) haha what must go up is definitely going to roll down a hill at break neck speed. yeah Nova's got a lot on her plate and her host isn't exactly helping. you just want to save everyone and now that i noticed i did kinda get a ren vibe from him but who knows. we shall see though to be fair, adam driver is a pretty handsome dude. have a great week!

guest sorta: haha awesome!

anonymouswriteres- im glad you enjoyed it, here's more. sorry life got in the way.

guest; Who knows? wait i do haha

sir starcoshipper; Well i guess we shall wait and see huh? well not me im writing it haha yeah i wanted it starco but different challenges. haha i did notice that after a while but its because dinning is word too so it didn't pop up red when i was proofreading. it means to make someone learn through repeating things which...who knows. sorry they are the length they are but you could always read them in chunks. the stories aren't going anywhere.

Cartoonlover- I dont know, did you see with your light brown eye the word pine? because you totally did sorry cliffhangers are how story works especially FF's and yes ladybug haha ah the eternal problem. be kind or be selfish. thank you so much we both actually thank, this arc was her idea and its great. Bromance wooo! and let's see how it plays out oooh KND makes me wanna...oh darn. its in the vault. anyway have a great week!

princess: thank you so much and i get a few comments they feel like this is a show. which would be awesome. kim is deth's oc but you'll have to find out why all that stuff. I am from the states, she showed me a fanart of nova she drew and we started talking, nope weather is not my classmate, deth is also not a classmate and your welcome! and I don't but i do hope you teach me a bit.

weatherart- things are going to intensify *puts on shades* i hope you feel better (hugs)

princessxgilex: thanks for you review!

Kittycat- i guess we shall find out huh? oh...*hands you tissue* sorry

Marionette-j2x (hands you tissue and pats head)

thundermist: well i guess you should start looking because that's how stories work. sorry man. ouch, there's always next time. yep waning moon hmm that is an excellent theory. eh we all need help from time to time its cool

guest: no he's not but now that you mention it, hmm yes maybe (writes it down) it be funny since starfan is voiced by daron herself

jimmlol: they not on earth, they're currently in the UndErworld!

ocean melodies: yeah Jack tends to be a lot of people's character, hence why his middle name is showstealer. oh wow, that is an insanely great honor. thank you so much im glad you enjoy him haha sorry but hey he's canon in this universe. Oh im sorry, here have more chapters! :D

minthia: yeah thats how stories, especially these ones, work. no need to say sorry, these stories are here for you to enjoy whenever you get a moment. they are not going anywhere. the hint is keep being awesome! :D

toocooltologin: thank you that would be a great honor. and i would probably die from joy.

starco shipper13: sorry for the delay, here it is and no i take your word for it. a lot of research went into it i can tell.

SonicElite: dun dun dunnnNnnnNn. me too oh wait im writing their fate. huh, okay then and no worries about late. stories are meant to be enjoyed at your own pace. Jack then harry, kim, adopting all the cool/robotic owl kids huh? Markeey says he'll be ready. stay awesome bro!

Majinbuu: haha yeah i love a good zombie scene. no worries, its not too too long. hmm eh kinda, go to marionette-j2x on tumblr to see what jack looks like

thank you so much for everything and being patient, life through alot of stuff at me. so for all your nova needs you can check out nova-friends a tumblr ran by me where you can submit your work (because anyone can draw nova, just please credit me) or ask the gang questions. weather-art, marionette-j2x on tumblr are major nova friends (marionette is official nova artist and she put up a cute nova's 15th birthday sketch.) but sweatermermaid did one, minthia-ren, a lot of novy art is out there and i try to keep it all on nova-friends. thank you so much for all that love you show me and nova.

So i won't keep you any longer, thank you so much for all your support. Mary Jane, berrilna and Jerlina with kim do not belong to me they are deth's ocs as well as this arc idea. So sit back and enjoy! _also this means flashback!_

* * *

" _What's your name?"_

 _Connor was caught off guard by the tiny voice that appeared from nowhere._

 _He glanced up to find a brown haired, pigtailed girl with wide electric blue eyes staring directly at him in equal parts awe and wonder._

" _Umm..."_

 _Connor wasn't sure what to make of this girl. He had been in Echo Creek for exactly 2 days and with a grand total of 0 friends to show for it._

 _He knew it was for the best that his family relocate from Canada but that couldn't stop the isolation and crippling loneliness he felt from lack of interact with people his age though he supposed he would need to talk for people to actually respond to his presence but Connor was never one for talking._

" _..."_

 _The girl looked at him impatiently, tapping her tiny little foot with a soft thud, thud, thud against the grass._

 _She was pretty adorable in her little overalls and dinosaur boots though Connor couldn't for the life of him figure out what she was doing all the way out here at the very edge of the field._

" _I asked a question" the girl muttered quietly "Daddy says it's rude not to answer."_

 _Connor looked around, wondering if somehow this girl was talking to someone else in this empty field of grass._

" _I'm talking to you mister."_

 _She wasn't._

 _Connor glanced back at her, one hand hovering over a screwdriver, the other holding onto a random spring lazily._

" _Fine" the girl pouted, taking a seat next to Connor and leaning in closely "I'll just sit here till I figure out what you are doing!"_

 _No one aside his parents had ever been interested in his little hobby before._

 _It was weird._

" _Umm..." Connor said uneasily "Oookay?"_

 _The tension between Connor and this new person was obvious even to the 7 year old but he quietly tinkered away, trying to ignore the hammering of his tiny little heart in his chest._

 _This girl made him nervous. Extremely nervous._

 _The impatient girl watched him carefully, her fury replaced with curiosity. Connor could see the little cogs turning in her mind as she tried to figure out how Connor was slowly putting this...whatever he was making together._

" _..."_

" _Nova."_

" _huh?" Connor turned to the young girl, unsure if he really heard her speak or was it some sort of trick his brain was playing on him._

" _Nova" the girl repeated softly, this time with a nod for added effect "My name is Nova."_

" _Connor..."_

"Connor, hey buddy!"

" _my name is Connor..."_

" _Connor?"_

"CONNOR! TIME TO NOT DROWN BUDDY"

" _That's a funny name..."_

"Seriously, don't you die on me or I will bring you back as a gross zombie!"

" _I like it."_

"Connor!"

Connor's eyes fluttered open as he took a deep gasp of air and violently coughed out water slooshing around in his lungs.

* * *

"I think they're dead"

"Psst, nah. They can't be dead. The one with glasses was too cute."

"how does that stop them from being dead?"

"beeeeecause I don't want him to die?"

"Girls" the blue hair maid scolded lightly, her voice soft and gentle while she loaded another rocket into her massive bazooka.

"Jelina, why are we even doing this?" A red haired maid asked curiously. Like Jelina the blue maid, her hair was color coordinated with her outfit. She had a long red ponytail, a pair of headphones covering either ear with two sleek, black antennas pointed upwards like horns, her red irises looking towards the blue maid eagerly.

"That's easy Mary Jane" A orange haired maid chimed. Unlike the other two, her medium length hair with style fitting ponytail did not match her maid outfit. Her uniform was the same color as her emerald green eyes "Jelly wants to test them a bit."

Mary Jane scoffed "Test them for what Berriana? On how well they die?"

"Noooooo" Berriana shot back with her tongue sticking out "On how well they _don't_ die! Duh."

"They're already dead Berry."

"Nah uh! I bet you a cookie they aren't"

"Fine, I'll take your bet."

Jelina quietly chuckled at the antics of the other two maids, eying the water pit where the two intruders fell into very carefully.

"hmm if I move the angle here" Jelina muttered to herself, adjusting the massive weapon in her hands with the slightest of movement "and lean forward here..."

"See, she's got them beat. Dead, dead and well dead."

The orange haired maid shook her head, waving her hands mockingly "nyaaaaa"

Jelina gently squeezed the trigger on the weapon.

There was a deep thud as the bazooka shook violently in Jelina's hand, the whistling of the rocket sailing through the air slowly fading into wasteland of the Underworld.

"It's going" Mary chanted in a dull tone "it's going, it's going and they're..."

Before the projectile could enter the water pit, there was a jet of flames rising up, colliding with explosive mid-air and denoting it safely away from intruders.

"And they're saved!" Berry cheered "In your face Mary, they're still alive!"

Jelina gave a slight nod of approval before calmly reaching for another rocket to launch at them.

* * *

Connor reached out for anything in the blur of colors and shapes he saw but his hand kept sinking beneath the cold water, his feet unsteady as powerful waves tossed the helpless teen back and forth.

"Here!" his sight normalized, his glasses placed safely on his nose once more "Better? Good! Now do something!"

Connor barely registered Jack looming over him when a loud pop filled the air.

A sudden burst of heat and air nearly knocked Connor into the water pit but the inventor managed to steady himself in time.

"What's going on!?" Connor yelled, his brain sluggish and trying its hardest to process what was happening.

"Bombardment!" Jack answered, gesturing upwards with a fireball that flew through the air before colliding with some sort of small object.

Connor covered his ears as a massive boom echoed all about, a new surge of heat and wind warming and chilling his face once again.

"Right!" Connor agreed, finally piecing together the gaps in his memory "Water pit, booms, bad guys. What now?"

"Out of the pit!" Jack shouted, twin jets of flames pouring out of his palms and into the open air.

"right!"

Connor ran his hand across the walls of the pit, his hand slipping off them. The surface was too smooth and the water didn't give him any friction to work with.

"Umm, that's going to be harder than I thought"

"You're a scientist!" Jack snarled back, destroying two rockets mid-air before shielding himself from the harsh, explosive fireballs hanging in the sky "figure it out!"

"I'm an inventor! I can't alter the laws of physics!"

Jack rolled his eyes "Well you better change your major soon because I'm getting lazy"

Connor stared incredulously at his best friend "seriously?"

"yes"

* * *

Nova took a deep breath but it failed to calm her in the coldness of the dungeon.

Half a Butterfly, Half a Butterfly, Half a Butterfly repeated in her mind, her failures poking and prodding at her every thought.

Failure as a princess, failure as the wielder of the wand, failure as a Butterfly.

Just one large failure wrapped up in a joke.

Nova could feel the tears welling in her eyes as she tucked herself deeper into her father's sweater.

She should just give up. She wasn't worthy of anything and no one was coming to save her. Why would they?

The chill ran through her entire body, affecting her very soul. She could feel no comfort in anything. Even her father's hoodie, a symbol of courage and determination, was just a reminder of what she would never measure up.

Daughter of Starco? What a joke...

* * *

"Whoa!" Connor squeaked as he sailed through the air, his body freezing from the fierce winds and damp from the water. He flailed his arms wildly before he landed on the edge of the hole, dirt soaking into his clothing.

Jack came leaping up after him, elegantly twisting mid-air, blasting a rocket into smithereens before landing next to Connor with a mighty thud.

"Why didn't you do that sooner!?" Connor shouted angrily, struggling to get to his feet. The fatigue of the day and shift in temperatures were beginning to wear his body down.

Jack shrugged casually "Look I can't do a lot of thinking when I'm shooting down rockets okay? Multitask Connie!"

Connor was peeved, clenching his fist tightly but before he could punch Jack in his smug face, the tell tale low hum of a familiar projectile began to grow in volume.

Connor whirled around only to find himself face to face with the hellhounds from earlier, their eyes gleaming with a savage hunger and opportunity.

"Jaaaaack" Connor called to the demon

"If it's the hellhounds" Jack replied, his voice tight with effort and strain "then you're going have to deal with them. Just wow them with the gold old Connie charm."

Connor opened his mouth to argue when there was a burst of fire and air just a few feet above him, much closer than any of the previous attacks.

Connor studied Jack's face closely, finally taking note of the buckets of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Connor had never seen Jack ever sweat. Jack always claimed it was too disgusting for a magician of his caliber to sweat and ungentlemanly as well. In fact, Connor never seen Jack put so much effort into anything that wasn't his magic.

This was taking its toll on the half demon and Connor had to pick up the slack or else they weren't going to make it any further.

Connor puffed out his chest, slowly strolling up to the vicious, unearthly animals.

The alpha snarled at the approaching teen, spittle of molten hot saliva spraying all over its feet, sizzling and slowly burning a hole into the ground below.

Connor glared in return, snarling in response to the Alpha's challenge.

The Alpha perked its ears back before giving the rest of the pack an uneasy look. Was this thing seriously challenging him?

Connor reached into his pocket slowly, making sure not to catch the notice of the hounds.

The alpha's gaze fell back onto Connor, its body tensed and lowered as it prepared to pounce on the foolish demon.

Wait, the alpha sniffed again before licking its fangs happily. It was a human. It had been many years since the Alpha last ate a human.

"Last chance pup" Connor threatened with a danger edge "Stop or I will be force to hurt you,"

Connor felt his nerves shaken as the hellhounds seemed to snicker at his threat.

The alpha reared back, front paws raised high as it fell onto its hind legs.

Connor snapped the object into his mouth, blowing as hard as he could into the tiny whistle with everything he had.

The hellhounds whined, feet pawing the air anxiously.

Most of the pack fled at once, tripping and tumbling over each other in a hurry to escape the human and its horrifying painful shriek.

The alpha locked eyes with Connor, sharp yet dirtied fangs bared at him with the clear threat that it wouldn't forget this.

Connor snarled, holding the whistle in his hands menacingly.

The alpha's courage failed and he fled after his pack.

Connor wiped the sweat from his brow, his wobbly legs nearly giving way after such a harrowing experience.

Connor looked at the whistle he apparently made when he and Jack were trying to escape the pack of Underworld beasts earlier.

Connor's nervous tick was he never could keep still. Ever and he always invented whether he meant to or not. He hadn't brought any real tools or scrap or material given the trip to the underworld was kind of a last minute thing. Well Nova being kidnapped hadn't been on the schedule either.

He had managed to find a little box cutter knife and just a random piece of metal. He hadn't even know he knew how to make a whistle but was he glad he remembered that obscure piece of knowledge.

Connor beamed with pride, feeling pretty good about himself and how he handle the hellhounds before frowning upon realizing he made a life long enemy. Hopefully that wouldn't come back to bite him later.

Still, Connor could help but feel relief and pride at his ability.

Until something collided with him from behind and sent him skidding onto the floor. Try as he might, he was human and his body gave out.

* * *

Jack grunted with effort, patting Connor gently while checking for a pulse which he was so happy to have found.

"Not bad four eyes" Jack muttered softly under his voice as he rose to his feet "Most humans wouldn't last this long but I needed you to hold out a little longer"

Jack eyed the figures in the distance: A red haired and blue haired maid with matching uniforms and the orange one with a clashing green outfit. Seriously, if Jack had ocd, he would be losing his mind.

"Ladies" Jack gave a slight bow "Don't do something you'd regret."

The blue haired one shrugged before launching another rocket directly at the pair.

Jack narrowed his eyes, his hands closed into a tight fist "Like that."

The rocket collided with Jack, engulfing him in a swirl of metal bits and flames.

"See" Mary gestured to the immense fireball "D-e-a-d gone."

There was a strange noise like water being rushing down a tube, a slight pop filled the air.

"Interesting." Jelina said mildly as a pair of blood red eyes stared at the trio from within the crackling flames.

Then, without warning, a third pupil appeared, slowly opening from the center of Jack's forehead.

An unburnt hand reached out from the sphere of flames, palm stretched outward.

The flames died at once, toren apart and reforming in Jack's hand, a tiny yet intense swirling of flames and heat held effortlessly.

The maids watched carefully as two thick demonic looking horns slowly began to rise from the magician's skull, his three eyes still a deep, frightening blood red, his gaze focused solely on them.

Strange black markings began to bleed from his eyelids, trickling downward as Jack flung the fireball lazily towards the maids.

The explosion was monumental, shaking the very earth itself and causing the maid's balance to become unsteady.

Jack took a step forward and Jelina took note of the way his foot sunk into the ground, melting the dirt into a sludge without any visible sign of flames or heat

Jack's gaze never wavered, inching closer and closer to the maids with a deadly intent in his demonic eyes.

Jelina hurriedly loaded another rocket into her weapon but with a lazy wave of Jack's hand, the bazooka became superheated and burnt her hands, forcing her to drop it or suffer worse consequences.

Jack took a deep breath, pillars of flames forming at his feet, growing in size each time he exhaled and inhaled.

"I am GOING TO KILL YOU!" Jack snarled, his human teeth now replaced with nasty, curved fangs.

Mary and Berry involuntarily took a step back and even the cool, calm Jelina felt unnerved by the power rolling off of Jack in waves. There was no stopping this demon. Maybe not even master Kim could. Maybe Jack was...

Pop. The fire went out, the swirl of suffocating energy winked out of existence and Jack's third eye and horns sunk away.

The maids shared a look with each other.

"Okay" Jack muttered in a bored tone "I'm tired."

and just like that, fell backwards, loudly snoring as he drifted into unconsciousness

The silence was thick as the maids tried to process what happened. One minute they were on the verge of being roasted alive and next they had two slumbering prisoners at their feet.

"You" Berry told Mary smugly "owe me a cookie."


	15. Collision Course

Hello everyone, Mr.E here, alive and some what well. sorry I am currently sick and This story was updated on my tumblr but by the time i finished, it was already so late. but here it is! YAY! sorry i got really busy with life and I didn't mean to go so long without updating. thank you for every review, favorite and follow. they mean the world to me and really is the best feeling you all enjoy something i created so much. thank you

a special thanks to sparklesona- thank you so much. I love the show so much i kinda get a feel how to write like it and capture its style even if this is writing and not animated. I hope you keep enjoy the story! it's not over yet.

weather-art: it has arrived

Sir Starcoshipper: haha yeah Jack was getting tired and lazy. being in his demon mode takes a lot out of him and he's not the best at keeping it up. yep! the origins of Covy,, mentioned but now briefly seen. haha If she saw this, i think I'd die fanboying out. go on, sing to your heart's content.

Finn: Well i got to make sure i build everything right for the future which means stuffing information and dialogue in and i don't want to make it too long or else it drags further. haha cookies make everything better.

Guest sorta; It'll be a week, not a day because yeah. though this time was longer. yeah i didn't lie. I did say hopefully but things come up. but hey it's here yay!

author smimph: Nymph: haha i couldn't resist honestly. big epic awesome battle? naaaaaah. all the cookies!I didn't know but apparently it is a thing. I think Bernadette did base them off an anime or the anime feeling. btw i can't wait for the covy new years story! which might've been up. sorry i need to go leave reviews. your works is excellent as ever.

starcoshipper13: it was kinda a flashback. Connor was waking up in the present day but his mind was thinking of the first time they met.

thundermist: thanks for drawing first of all and indeed, why does Nova think that? hmm. nope not dead, just busy

thedarkflame15: haha it snuck up on everything and then before it hit, it was like COVY'S HERE WOOT WOOT! yeah they're bernadette's ocs and she really wanted to include them in so i was like alright sure and they're his maids. haha you know me i love my details :) Oh yeah. the best stories really do have various intense emotions and moments, highs and lows between their cast and plot. there will be side effects after this event in the story. haha like father like son though Jack tends to be more troublemaking than straight up angry. i read cleave believe it or not. you're doing great i just haven't left a review which i will very soon i promise. keep up the awesome work!

Rocierra: i know right?

SonicElite: s'up! hope you're doing great! no worries, i still have family members that haven't even said it too me. yes! 5 five stars! YAY! yeah sometimes short doesn't mean lacking depth and if there's thing i love, for better or worse, it's depth and details.

Marionette: *pats head

princessxgilex: thank you for your review!

Anoymouswriters: I hope they are too! Don't get me wrong, just because they're my kids doesn't mean I'll go on easy on them :)

Anonymims: YAY! *HUG!* Happy New Year! and for the brief issue on the other review, you have friends you can talk to and i know it seems like the world doesn't care. it does. Sometimes it's up to us to change the future and shape the next generations. We're getting there but we can't give up. now the review. Especially the cookie and battle ax. haha it's either Cojack or Jonner, i'm not sure myself honestly. *HUGS!*

Majinbuu: yes i did. I love the idea so much that i honestly wanted my own version of him in there. he felt like such a star vs character to be honest. he's so op if you know what you're doing with his equipment. I know right? ugh

thebeard92: If you read the valentine chapter of covy in there always a star and a hoodie, it'll answer your question but just in case, it's totally canon Connor sings Sinatra and while he didn't sing sway with me, he did sing fly me to the moon and her reaction was...dazed. haha

princess: yeah jack is a little lazy sometimes, even if life or death combat. He's from the underworld so dying isn't really a thing for him. haha fear the adorable covy! oooh maybe i'll take you up on your offer! yep! a lot of people think i know her in real life but nope, we're just good friends. thank you so much though take your time reading. those stories aren't going anywhere. and thank you for your kind words and your review. it means the world to me.

The nova update is pretty well expensive. Marionette-j2x Christmas Covy and various nova sketches, Thundermist's and Weather-art's covy and Nova hanging out with Volt. aweirdlatina's super cute baby nova and Nova hanging out with her oc Amanda. Seriously just such get artwork and i love it all. If you want to see them all, check out Nova-friends on tumblr where i try my best to keep it in one place. Even the blood moon wants to spread its light to covy so yay!

Okay I won't keep you any longer. have a great week, hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. thank you for all your love and support of nova. without you, she wouldn't have gotten this far and a special thank you to fandomlover and Marionette who run the nova facebook fan page because that is a thing and I am still surprised but i do appreciate their hard work. thank you all again and enjoy!

* * *

" _ **It is pointless"**_

Nova took a deep breath, her eyes bright with watery tears that threatened to pool onto her distraught face.

"...It's pointless" She whispered to herself, arms wrapped around her legs tightly "I'm only half a Butterfly...half a Diaz...How can I expect to be someone my parents are proud of? How can anyone be proud of me...?"

" _ **I should just give up..."**_

Nova let out a defeated sigh, her breath icy from the coldness of her prison cell.

"I should just give up" she tilted her head to one side "No one's coming for me. I'm never getting out of here without taking Kim's offer..."

Nova's ears perked up at the subtle low howl of a gentle breeze that seem to come from nowhere.

In the back of her mind, Nova was faintly aware of the noise but she couldn't bring herself to search for its source. The young magical princess too wrapped up in her thoughts and despair to bother.

"I mean am I even the legal heir to Mewni?" her lips curved into a frown "The nobles made such a big deal about dad being from Earth. It's their fault I couldn't see...couldn't be with my mom for 7 years of my life." The tears grew "7 years wondering why daddy slept alone. 7 years questioning where was mommy and why wasn't she with us. 7 years I'll never get back and all because the nobles thought they knew better than my own mother about who she should choose."

" _ **I should teach them a lesson."**_

A righteous fury grew within Nova, burning brightly and out of control. Nova clenched her fist angrily, shivering as the air within her cell chilled further.

"I should teach them a lesson!" Nova snarled "They took my mother from me! 7 YEARS! I..."

The anger drained out of her as quickly as it came and left Nova feeling appalled and even more despondent.

"What am I thinking?" she whispered to herself, shame and guilt bubbling in her stomach at her strange, alien thoughts "How could I even think of such a thing? I don't want to get even with anyone! I can't believe I thought..."

Nova sniffled, tucking herself into a little ball as the tears overflowed.

"My parents would be so ashamed of me. Everyone would...I shouldn't act that way. I'm not worthy of the wand...I'm not a real Butterfly...I'm a disgrace to the name."

She didn't bother to put the hood back on her head as she so often did when she sought comfort. Instead, she laid there, tears openly flowing down her cheeks, disgrace and sadness overtaking her entire being as she curled further into a ball.

* * *

Kim stared thoughtfully at the swirling darkness that danced lazily across the monitor, its thick inky form twisting and curving as if it had ideas, thoughts.

Purpose.

It had been hours since Nova last talked to the master of the manor and even less time since Kim was able to see into the princess's cell at all. Whatever his patron ordered him to place into her room was completely obscuring what was going on in there.

His patron promised Kim that, within a short time, Nova would change her mind about his offer, influenced by more... _reasonable_ source than her troublesome parents and their morals.

"Lord Beelzebub" A deathly sick voice softly called

Kim turned around to find the thin, scrawny form of a figure standing before him, their body covered by long faded red robes.

"How goes the young princess's conversion?" the sickly voice crooned curiously

Kim gestured to the monitor "I haven't the slightest idea as the spell or creature that your master instructed be placed with her is currently obscuring my view of her cell. Obscuring means blocking or impeding by the way."

The thin figure laughed with an inhuman rattle "Then all should be proceeding accordingly. Teenagers are such an influx of emotions and are so easily corrupted."

A flicker of discontent flashed through Kim, a spark of a rebellious idea but before it could catch ablaze, it was snuffed out by a cold, dark intent and forgotten.

"I rather hope whatever is in there is not hurting my future bride" Kim muttered quietly though his tone was laced with a warning edge.

"If she succumbs quickly to the darkness" The figure shrugged "Then there should be no harm to her. At least physically."

Kim faced away from the hooded figure's manic cackling, eyes locked solely on the shift, swirling darkness that filled the screen.

* * *

Connor was floating in the middle of nowhere, in a black, inky abyss with no signs of anything else for miles. The air was cold and harsh, a low howling of a far off wind echoed gently in his ears. He was weightless and any attempt to move was met with failure.

Connor flinched as a wet drip fell onto his forehead and causing an icy shudder to run down his spine. Connor frantically tried to escape the increasingly dripping of the water but there he remained, trapped in a nexus of darkness and emptiness.

"Wake up" A voice called through the shadows "get up four eyes, we don't have all day."

Connor's brow crinkled thoughtfully as he struggled to piece together the voice. Why did it sound so familiar? Did he know this person?

"I will push you off the bed if you don't wake up" the voice threatened, their voice clearer and closer.

"Nova?" Connor asked carefully "Nova, is that you?"

"No" The voice replied "now get up."

Connor fell through the shifting darkness without warning, a multitude of sensations flowing through his body as a bright light slowly filled the empty void, blinding the inventor as he approached closer and closer...

Thud

"Oww..." Connor murmured, the side of his face pressed against a moist, smooth stone.

Everything hurt and ached with exhaustion as Connor rose to his feet, his glasses dangling off a single ear haphazardly.

"Hey sleeping beauty" Jack waved lazily, the rattling of metal against stone filling the room.

"Oww, my head" Connor moaned "What happened?"

"long story short" Jack gestured with his hand, two thick sliver chains with strange symbols wrapped snugly around his wrists and attached to the wall "We got ambushed and lost. You passed out, I heroically tried to fight off our attackers but was unable to do so, finally losing consciousness after shielding your defenseless body from an unstoppable onslaught and..."

"So you overdid it" Connor rolled his eyes.

"I overdid it" Jack shrugged "I don't go full demon all the time for a reason."

Connor glanced around the rather cozy cell, gray stonework with simple cots for a place to sleep complete with manacles restraining the young inventor.

"Why chain me?" Connor wondered as he carefully studied the metal "I'm just human."

"You're the best friend to a magical princess, half-demon prince of the Underworld and are from Canada. I'd say you're the most dangerous person in this room."

"Jack..."

"Besides, they probably saw what your inventions can do" Jack playfully smirked towards Connor "Remember the lunchbox?"

Connor let out an involuntary shudder "Don't remind me"

"I wonder if your ban is still in effect"

"You know it is. Where are we?"

"No idea" Jack answered truthfully "Though judging the amount of anti-demon runes craved into my chains, I'm willing to bet in the middle of enemy territory"

"Kim" Connor gently placed his glasses back in front of his face.

"Bingo and his trio of merry mechanical maids."

"Great" Connor rubbed his eyes tiredly "We're drained, captured and no one knows where we are."

"Could be worse" Jack supplied

Connor slowly turned to his best friend, face set in disbelief and anger.

"How?" Connor snarled, his patience stretched thin by this point "HOW COULD THIS BE WORSE?!"

"We could be dead."

Connor blinked, realizing that Jack surprisingly had a point.

"Especially you" Jack pointed to the young inventor "A human soul? Do you _know_ how many uses a human soul has down here?"

"Enough to treat the human with respect and love?"

Jack laughed playfully "That's cute. More like that we had to ban human soul harvesting or the entire stability of the Underworld would've been threatened."

"Ah" was all Connor could say.

"Anyway" Jack went on, arms behind his head as he lay on his cot "Rest up"

Connor could feel a righteous wrath course through his veins, Jack's utter lack of commitment or effort infuriating him. Connor clenched his fist tight while trembling with unrestrained fury. He took a deep breath in, carefully chose his words and opened his mouth to scold the magician.

"No, I haven't stopped caring" Jack explained without turning his head "But we're locked in prison with someone who knew we were coming. Unless we can figure out a way to get out right here and now or back up is on the way, we might as well rest up. When we get out and either escape or fight our way to your girlfriend, we're going to need our energy. Otherwise, we're walking dead men. Demons might spare you on a good day but I can promise you this demon probably isn't feeling too merciful."

"..." Connor sighed, looking across their prison with a forlorn gaze "You're right Jack. We need to keep up our strength up if we want to join the final fight."

"Of course I'm right" Jack waved his hand obviously "I'm always right."

Connor gave a little chuckle as he took a seat on his bed "Sure you are Jack. Except that time you forgot that inflammable meant flammable."

"Hey!" Jack whirled around, glaring openly at Connor "I was 8 years old four eyes! The letter I was very confusing!"

"Do you still have a lifetime ban at the circus?"

"Psst, like I would even go back to that joke of a show. I mean who wants to use flaming chainsaws anymore?"

Connor sneered mischievously "You did."

"I WAS 8!"

* * *

Kim let out a heavy breath he did not know he was holding on to.

"Master" Jelina curtsied politely as she approached the anxious demon.

"Master"

"Master"

Mary and Berry were not so elegant in their greetings towards their master: Mary simply nodded, arms crossed with little other motion. Berry had bowed too deeply and nearly fell onto her face when her weight shifted to far forward but she quickly recovered and gave a cute, airy giggle.

"Report" Kim cut to the chase "What triggered my proximity spells and have you properly dispose of the disturbance?"

"Well" Berry cheerfully began "We had to try our bestest and hardest! Jelly even had to bring out her bazooka! You know the big boom, boom, boom!"

Kim didn't crack a smile at Berry's reenactment of Jelina trying to destroy the intruders despite how adorable the young maiden looked, tongue sticking out and energetic sound effects included.

"and then she was like woooosh BOOOOOOOM! AND AND WE...!"

"We crushed them" Mary cut in, arms still crossed despite her matter of fact tone "Nice, easy and completely without resistance. Then Jelly decided to..."

"Let the poor animals go" Jelina explained, her face indifferent and unreadable.

Mary and Berry shared a confused look, wondering if there was something wrong with the eldest maid.

"Umm Jelly?" Mary slowly asked in hopes not to provoke her fellow maid "Did you forget?"

"yeah!" Berry chimed in "We totally owned them and then you were like..."

"Guiding them outside the perimeter of our master's land" Jelina explained "The hellhounds still have not learned where not to venture. I shall be sure to reinforce my lessons about coming too close."

Kim took a step forward, his presence cold and distant.

Mary and Berry took a step back, an icy chill running down their spines despite the fact the young demon had always been kind to the trio.

Jelina stared at the approaching Kim, her face still set in its stony indifference.

"Jelina" Kim's voice was soft yet menacing "are you telling me the truth?"

"Of course Master Kim." Jelina answered with a slight smile "Why would I ever lie to you?"

Kim's gaze focused on the blue maid, searching her face carefully for any lies or half truths.

Mary and Berry tried to steady their breath, unsure what was Jelina was planning. In all their years of service, the trio had never lied to the young master before and no one adhered to the rules like Jelly did. Such an infraction would not be taken lightly if discovered.

There was a silent battle of wills as master and maid glanced towards one another, trying to discover or hide the truth.

Kim let out a sigh though it was unclear if he fell for Jelina's lie or discovered her treachery.

"Girls, please take the day off. You've worked hard for me and for so long. I appreciate all of it."

"Master" The girls bowed respectfully before taking their leave.

Kim's gaze never left as the trio of girls left the room quickly, their voices dropping to low, hushed whispers.

* * *

"Are you crazy?!" Mary yelled at the blue haired girl once the maids had left their master far enough behind "Lying to the master?! I would never guessed you had it in you." there was a pause before Mary gave a nod "I'm impressed."

"Don't be" Jelina quickly voiced "I feel terrible but Master has been acting so strange lately. He didn't even laugh at Berry!"

"Yeah!" Berry joined in "And he always laughs at me! Wait, that came out wrong."

"In any case" Jelina continued "We must save our master. Something has happened. We vowed to protect him from any and all harm. Self included."

"oooooh" Mary cooed cheekily "Someone learned to bend the rules."

"Nonsense" Jelina waved off Mary's comment "I've always knew how to bend the rules. I just choose not to. Unlike you two"

"Hey!" Berry pouted "I only snuck off once."

"Twice" Mary corrected.

"Four" Jelina added

"ten times!" Berry cheered before she was struck with realization "Wait...FORGET WHAT I SAID!"

"Anyway" Mary began quietly as the trio began to race down the stairs "We can't just betray Master Kim. We cannot hurt him. He's been so kind to us."

"And he has our contracts!"

"Thank you Berry. He has our contracts Jelly."

"I know" Jelina said with a smirk "But he doesn't know about _them_."

Jelina pushed open the door the maids were unknowingly walking towards and startled the occupants trapped within.

* * *

Jack and Connor leapt to their feet as the multicolored ladies briskly walked into their cells, two surprised faces and one expectant one.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked threateningly, trying to stop the confusion from spilling into his question.

"Yes" Jelina murmured softly with the biggest grin on her face "yes you can."

* * *

The cell was deathly quiet as Kim made his way deeper within and took in the sight before him.

The dark, black inky smoke that hung above him was frozen in place, unmoving and still.

Nova just sat there beneath the strange entity, her body slack against the cold stone wall, her shackles laying lifeless across the smooth tile.

"Nova?" Kim asked slowly "Nova, are you alright my princess?"

A few moments passed with the magical princess of Mewni seemingly unresponsive. She remained motionless despite Kim's attempt to rouse any sort of response out of her.

"Nova, please answer me. My patron grows impatient and your answer is most important."

"Kim..." Nova's voice was quiet, almost inaudible even in the silence of the cell.

Kim shifted nervously as he spared a glance to the smoky cloud that remained above, wondering if the... _thing_ had hurt her too badly and how to enact his revenge against it.

"Kim..." Nova repeated as she slowly rose to her feet "is the offer still...still..."

"Of course my princess. Have I changed your mind?"

"Yes...I was so foolish before Kim. I am so sorry. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you my princess" Kim gently comforted as he held Nova in his arms "Shall I remove you from this horrible place my princess?"

"yes..." Nova tilted her head to face the demon lord, her eyes completely glazed over and glassy as bright red orbs stared directly at Kim "Yes you may my lord."


	16. Mechanical Dealings

hello everyone. Mr.E here and yes i am alive yay!sorry it took a long time to update. it's been a crazy couple of weeks and my writing schedule has been chaotic and random. Still thank you so much for waiting and I'll try to make sure the next update isn't so far into the future. I really didn't mean to but life was just like "oooooh you got time?" and I'm like "yeeeeeah?" and threw stuff at me. so so sorry. So we made! ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THIS STORY AS OF THE FIFTH! (superbowl and family gathering held me up) yay! thank you so much for all the love, and support and just letting me how you know how much you enjoy the story. Nova is a official two years old because she was created at the same time as star vs. I actually wrote a little insight into her creation on my nova tumblr nova-friends in case anyone is curious and i even answer why she has star's hearts (you have to go to the original post because the reblogs don't seem to have it.

So I won't keep you, please enjoy the story. I am doing a new things where reviews are answered at the end of the stories so people who just want to read can just go right ahead. I do not own Kim, Jelina, Mary or Berry they belong to my good friend marionette-j2x as does this arc idea. Please enjoy and thank you for everything.

* * *

Mary Jane and Berry had known Jelina their entire lives. She was the de facto leader of the group and the one in charge of all major decisions and responsibilities. They never once thought she would break any rules or even subvert Master Kim's word. Their trust in her was unshakeable and for good reason.

Mary Jane was far too impatient and violent to be in charged, opting to simply beat a problem into submission or out of existence, which ever came first and was never good with the whole "thinking ahead" approach to life.

Berry, on the other hand, was too lax and childish to be able to handle any leadership roles. She spent most of her time goofing off or breaking the rules she was supposed to uphold. She never took anything seriously and she was no good at hiding her thoughts from anyone. She wore her heart on her sleeves and made no apologies for it.

That's how the trio always worked. A bastion of unity, a collection of different ideals and personalities working together to serve their master as well as they could. Jelina used her calm, collected nature to overcome a problem. If her way failed, Berry would try to charm and adorable her way past with Mary Jane's fist as the last resort should nothing work.

Mary Jane and Berry had the utmost faith in their fellow sister.

Even if she was currently attempting to negotiate a deal between their current prisoners and enemies to Master Kim's plan.

Jelina could feel the doubtful and questioning gaze of Mary and Berry fall upon her, the struggle to keep her face as indifferent as possible as she waited for the well dressed half demon in front of her to calm down long enough for her to explain herself.

"Nope, stay back you mechanical menacing maids! You ruined my clothes do you know how much my mom's going to kill me? A LOT BY THE WAY!"

Jack snarled, eyes burning with an unquenchable fury as he swung his weapon of choice back and forth, nearly clipping Jelina in the chin with it.

"Jack!" Connor called out, his voice wavy and unsteady but Jack failed to heed Connor's words, giving his improvised weapon another swing towards the trio of multicolored maids.

"Back! I am not afraid to use this!" Jack threatened "Seriously I will beat you to _death_ if you take another step forward"

"Jack!" Connor cried again.

"That is an interesting choice of weapon" Jelina murmured softly "And pray tell why did you think using a human would be a good idea?"

Jack paused mid-swing, his hands clutching at Connor's ankles tightly while still raising the inventor like a baseball bat. Connor let out a nauseated groan, covering his mouth with his stomach giving timid rumble.

"because" Jack shrugged, pulling Connor back for another go at Jelina "I am not ruining my bed. Besides he's the densest thing here."

"Did you just call me...ugh...oh god...did you just call me fat?"

"No" Jack rolled eyes "Just very thick headed."

"Please put down your...umm human. We come in peace"

"Peace?" Connor couldn't keep the incredulous disbelief out of his voice "You shot rockets at us!"

"Well yeah" Mary shrugged nonchalantly "You were trespassing on our Master's land. How else were we supposed to respond? Roll out the red carpet?"

"He kidnapped this one's girlfriend!"

"YEAH! Wait, what?"

"So?" Mary Jane shrugged apathetically

" _So?_ " Connor growled "She's my best friend and I'll be damned if I let some idiotic demon kidnap her for some nefarious purpose."

Mary Jane gave a disinterested glance towards her fingernails "it sounds like you should've kept a better eye on her."

Connor snarled viciously "What?! That's it, Jack swing me! Get her right in her smug face!"

"YEAH!" Jack cheered, pulling Connor back for another attack.

"STOP THIS MADNESS RIGHT NOW!"

The room fell silent, unmoving and awkward as Jelina stepped between, bazooka drawn and aimed directly towards her feet with a clear warning to everyone present: Stop fighting or I will blow us all up.

Jack huffed, his eagerness to fight waning while he dropped Connor to his feet and crossed his arms as much as he could while still chained to the wall.

Connor rubbed his ankles, trying to get the blood flowing back into his legs.

"We're listening." Jack spat, openly glaring towards Jelina despite the explosive payload she held in her hands.

"Good. I have to admit when I came in here, I wasn't expecting to have a human flung at me."

"Well there's always time" Jack sneered

Connor nodded in agreement before realizing he was the human in question.

"Look...we need your help" Jelina said, straight to the point.

Mary and Berry shared a confused, unsure gaze but remained silent.

Jack raised an eyebrow, unsure what exactly he had to offer the maid. Right now they held all the cards and while Jack was rebellious and calm on the outside, even he was unsure how he was going to get out of this and that was not including his best friends.

"And how can we, your lowly prisoners, help you?" Jack mocked

That didn't mean he wasn't going to give them sass and sarcasm.

"Our master...he's not himself lately." Jelina whispered quietly "He seems..."

"A jerk?" Mary supplied helpfully

"neglectful?" Berry chimed in

"Egotistic?" Mary added

"OH OH! Talks to himself and let all these spooky people into the manor and and doesn't laugh at my jokes anymore!" Berry teared up a bit.

"Right" Jack clicked his tongue dismissively "That sounds terrible and all that jazz buuuuut I'm not seeing how this involves us or why should we care?"

Jelina bit her lip, a brief display of emotion filling her face before settling into the familiar stony indifference.

"I know you care not for Master Kim but he took us in. He gave us a home and purpose. We grew up with him. We _know_ him."

"And?"

"This isn't him" Jelina muttered "The kidnapping, letting these strange robed figures into the manor, using dark, evil tactics to get his way."

Jack coughed loudly

"Well eviler than usual" Jelina corrected "I am concerned for my master's well being and I fear something is amiss with him."

"Okay" Jack raised an eyebrow "I still am not sure what any of this has to do with us."

"I'm prepared to make a deal with you, if..."

"Noooo" Jack shook his head vigorously "no no no I'm half demon. I know exactly what deal means and I say Hell to the nah. No deal!"

"Wait!" Jelina raised her hands "that's not what I meant!"

"Poor choice of words."

"Look!" Jelina yelled, her fist sinking several inches into the cell wall "I NEED YOU TO BEAT MASTER KIM!"

It was hard to tell who was more surprised by the turn of events: Jack and Connor or Mary and Berry.

"Well that's surprising" Jack said, lifting off the bed and walking closer towards the trio.

"I am certain Master Kim is under some sort of mind control" Jelina explained, the frown on her face far too serious for Jack's liking "Or at the very least under some sort influence. One that does not have his best interest at heart."

"I'm listening but you better hurry up. I trust you as far a I can through you and I don't feel like dirtying my clothes."

Jelina shifted uncomfortably under Jack's intense glance

"Most mind control or influence spells and enchantments can be countered but since I assume your magical spellcasting is a bare minimum, you'll have to do the alternative and physically knock out Master Kim."

"So why don't you do it?" Jack questioned thoughtfully "He won't see it coming from you three."

"Easy Brimstone brain, we took a vow." Mary Jane explained "and unlike most demons, we actually _like_ to uphold our promises. Especially to Master Kim..."

"And I'm the only one strong enough to take on your boss head to head, that about right?"

Jelina nodded "Indeed. Your human friend would be killed within moments and even if he could survive long enough with Master Kim, sooner or later he would be overwhelmed."

"Humans" Berry cheerfully butted in "Pretty but oh so squishy."

"and me?" Jack gestured to himself "I'm half-human. So I am half squishy."

"I've seen your true power" Jelina admitted "You can defeat Master Kim but you only embrace your other side. You suppress yourself."

Jack's face was impassive, his brown eyes hard "I dunno, my demonic side isn't exactly friendly on the eyes."

"I think so" Berry beamed with a wink.

"Riiiiiiight" Jack shook his head

"What do I do about Nova?" Connor stepped forward, unwilling to stay quiet during this critical moment.

Jelina paused, her face deep in thought "I suppose she's similarly charmed though due to her Mewman and human heritage she may be easier to free. Perhaps simply talking to her will suffice. After all Mewman's are notoriously chaotic and humans more so."

"Wait" Jack cut in "why can't me and Connor just pop out? Just give us a pair of scissors and I can bring my dad or even Nova's mom. They'll sort Kim out."

"With our anti-dimensional crystal, all dimension scissors will fail to function and" Jelina quickly added upon seeing Jack's face protest "and! we cannot simply turn off the device. It is always on and if it is off for even a moment, Master Kim will suspect something's wrong and you will miss your chance to get the drop on him. His guests will easily capture you once more and you would've achieved nothing."

"Guests?" Connor asked

Jelina pursed her lips "Master Kim has recently let some unsavory guests into the manor. And yes, more so than the usual demon."

Jack shut his mouth.

"We believe them to be some sort of cult. Most of the time Master Kim has kept them away from the chamber but they will no doubt search everywhere for the source of the problem."

"So what I'm hearing" Jack answered with a deadpanned face "We need to beat Kim and Nova as fast as possible and get out before this 'cult' finds us."

"Yep! Pretty much" Berry agreed absentmindedly

"Ugh, I hate these odds but we don't have a choice."

"So you'll do it?" Jelina asked breathlessly "You'll save Master Kim?"

Jack gave an exhausted sigh "Fiiiiiine I solmely swear to save your jerk butt of a master if you promise me, four eyes and Nova safe passage out of here."

"Awesome" Mary Jane gave an approving nod as Jelina waved her hand.

There was a loud click that echoed throughout the room as Connor and Jack's chains fell off their wrists without warning.

Connor rubbed his aching wrists, still unsure if he could trust the maids. Even if they did manage to free Kim of this supposed 'mind control' would the maids keep their word of letting them go?

"Please prepare yourselves. You don't have much time. Our master is preparing for the ceremony and it is nearly ready. You'll find him down the left hall and the 5th door on the right."

"Yeah, yeah go on ladies, it's time to give us privacy"

Jack watched carefully as, one by one, the multicolored maids left the room, closing the door behind.

Jack expected the thunderous blooming of a lock to reach his ears but no such sound came. Instead there was a deep, thick silence.

"That's surprising."

"Can we trust them Jack?" Connor asked the unspoken worry that plagued both teens

"Probably not but we'll deal with that when we get there. Now to gear up"

"Gear up?" Connor wondered what Jack meant.

* * *

Jack quickly snuck through the empty hallways, skull cap placed firmly on his head and the armor his father had given him wrapped tightly onto his body

Connor wore the Mewnian battle armor Tom presented to him with a rather simple red headband around his forehead (For flavor Jack told him) but unlike Jack who was eager for a fight, Connor was more shell shocked from what he saw.

"Oh come on dude" Jack rolled his eyes "It wasn't that bad."

"I don't know what hammer space is but if I never see it again, it be too soon."

"Look at this way Connie, very few humans could look into an endless void where demons hold their items and keep their minds."

Connor's stride fell to a stop "Wait, I could've lost my mind looking into that?! JACK!"

"What?" Jack shrugged "I told you not to look. It's not my fault you don't listen."

"YOU COULD'VE DRIVEN ME INSANE!"

"You're driving me crazy right now. Now come on, your princess needs saving and according to the merry mechanical maids, we don't have that much time."

Step, step, step.

"Jack?"

"Hmm?"

Connor paused, unsure how to word the next thought rattling in his head "If they care for Kim, why don't they fight him? I mean they can loophole their vow if they're doing it to protect him, right?"

Jack shook his head "That's not how it works my dear Canadian. Do you know why I never give my word or promise anything to you?"

Connor thought about it for a moment "Because you're sneaky, double crossing trickster I should not trust unless it's the most dire of situations?"

"Exactly" Jack beamed, proud Connor remembered what Jack told him all those years ago when they first met "That's just not me, that's demons in general. We're a tricky untrustworthy lot that are mostly likely lying to you and more than ready to backstab you first chance we get. Unless we promise."

Connor raised an eyebrow "Can't you just break it like every other living being in the universe?"

"Of course not!" Jack stomped onto the cold stone floor "Come on man I thought you were smart. I'm pointing it out for your own good. I already know this stuff."

"Well tell me more Mr. exposition."

"Psst, no. I don't want to now"

"Jack."

"Fiiiiiine" Jack rolled his eyes "No one knows why but demons are bound to uphold any promise we make to any other being be it demon, human, or gelatinous blob."

Connor stared at Jack, wondering if he was joking "Gelatinous blob?"

"I mean" Jack went on, completely ignoring Connor "How often do you hear about demons keeping promises in any form of media?"

"Well" Connor bit his lip "They're always making deals, so..."

"Wrooooong four eyes" Connor blinked as Jack wrapped his arm around his neck playfully "See that's the kind of naive thinking that gets people into trouble. A deal is not a promise. That's why we make those all the time. That's a business offer, not a vow."

"And it's not personal..." Connor muttered gently, finally piecing it together

"There we go. A vow is everything to a demon and something we don't just hand out lightly. Promises carry weight especially in the underworld and demons or not, the maids made a promise and they are bound to it."

" does that mean...you think Kim's not such a bad guy? I mean..."

"Maybe" Jack agreed slowly

"You going to be able to fight him Jack?"

"What?" Jack looked appalled "oh I'm still totally knocking his kidnapping ass out. It's the only way to help him."

Connor and Jack shared a cocky, confident smile and then...

"UGH where's the door?!" Jack cried outloud "they said the 3rd on the left."

"What? No, they said the 5th door on the right"

Jack clicked his tongue "no, no, no 3rd door on the left. Look I know your brain is a little rattled because you know I used you as a makeshift weapon but I have a memory like a..."

"Found it" Connor called out to the distracted magician, gesturing to a now open door, a red sinister light basking the two in its soft, harsh glow.

"You sure? Because that's what my kitchen looks like" Jack made his way over "Well not as good. needs blood red lightening, not this salmon what's it. Just cheap."

"Jack, we're not here to critique his house."

"Speak for yourself. I am. This whole place is tacky and so 5th century."

The two walked side by side inside.

The walls were blacken charred stone craved into a circular room almost like an orb shape. It wasn't very spacious but that was because of the circle platform that was raised directly in the center of the room. Cemented into the ceiling was a tiny red ruby which was the source of faint light and basking them in its illumination on the circular platform were a familiar face and a complete stranger.

Connor wouldn't have ever guessed the teenager boy that stood next to Nova was a demon: Blue eyes, black hair, goth levels of black clothing with a cartoony skull on his shirt. Nothing screamed demon about him though to be fair neither did Jack.

Nova had gone through a major change. Her long brown hair was no longer tied into her well-known twintails but a single, held back ponytail. She had a rather cute braid resting on the top of her head and wore a rather elegant pink dress: Black fabric covered her neck, holding up the rest of the outfit yet exposing her shoulders. The trim of the dress was all black though Connor could see a white interior at the hem of skirt.

Connor would've been breathless if it wasn't for the dull, reddish color her eyes held instead of her usual electric blue irises.

Connor took a deep breath, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

There was a deep, thick silence that filled the room. An anxious, tense fear that Connor could feel seep into his very bones.

"you know" Jack piped up after a moment "If this was a show, this is where the cliffhanger would happen"

"Jack! This isn't a show" Connor snarled "This is real life."

Jack gave a cheeky grin, his third eye slowly forming into existence as his horns rose from his skull, his teeth becoming sharp and gleamed with a deadly edge.

"I know, just saying" Jack finished with a wink, leaping 20 feet into the air towards the waiting Kim and Nova.

* * *

a special thanks to princessxgilex: thank you so much for your review!

thundermist: i know it's not right but you didn't think just because they're my children, i wouldn't mess with them did you? bwahaha no one is safe. NO ONE! thank you so much though i really do appreciate it. there's always cliffhangers unless you want to read a 12 thousand word page at a time. oooh new supplies! sweeeeet!

finn: you know it!

HiQ-anoymims- haha i loved rouge one. it was so great and i crush hard on jyn erso! but K2 my god so funny. always whenever you need it my friend :) the Canadians are the most dangerous of foes. I heard they fight mooses when they're young haha that was too much fun to write. thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for all your hard work, including the new nightvale story!

guest: so...not emotional. i wrote it down and I shall count it against the votes for a super emotional reunion. you are losing by quite a lot haha.

guest sorta: sorry i got sideswiped by life but here it is and hopefully the next one is closer. and sorry its cliffhangers or 12 thousand words, take your pick.

Marionette- Yes according to plan bwahaha seriously, stop eating my shirt *hands you candy bar.* shirts are not healthy for a noms.

author smimph; yes! the nova that WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET DETH! ugh okay it's all good. haha yeah they were very inspired by anime given bernadette's love of the genre. haha that be a funny twist. maybe he does? maybe she's locked in a supermax prison due to causing world war 4. maybe who knows. well i guess i would. sorry life got me but these two first months are always busy for me so hopefully it's all good

sir starcoshiper. bwahahah it begins and you know this ends the arc not the actual story. I have a lot of ideas for novy. i would die of joy if she mentioned something. JOY I SAY!

cartoonlover: it seems you know too much. we have no choice but to bring you into the fold. here's your I.D secret notebook and keycard. please do not lose indeed does she have planned? also not really. a lot of people like Kim. for the most part except for the kidnapping Nova part. *jack and connor hug you* NOVA SHALL RISE hopefully.

SJMT shipper; hi! they're Bernadette' ocs. she asked for me to add them in so i did! you can go to her tumblr to find out marionette-j2x. thank you for all the reviews.

rocierra: Oh yes, Yes YEEEEEEEEEEES!

SonicE1337: bwhaha it does seem that way doesn't?! BUT IS IT?! IS IT!? yeah she's going to be pissed. no worries, review when you can. i'm just happy you leave one! have a great week bro! and keep up the awesome work.

Majinnbuu: yep! because plot bwahaha honestly even if Starco is canon (which it will because I have my instincts) but you should still support the show. It's still a very creative, well thought out and written show that has that rare quality not usually seen these days. but your choice is yours alone.

alicorns: I'm glad you liked it! i hope you enjoy the entire story.

H.E.A shipper; agreed and sorry. the first month of the year usually is the most crazy for me and this year was especially so. But here we are and hopefully everything calm down enough for me to not wait so long to update. I am very happy you enjoy it though! and sorry for random stops and cliffhangers. cuz it's that or 12 thousand word chapters which is soooooo long for everyone.

axis25: I could've sworn you left me a review but I'm not finding it. maybe it was on always a star. Well i am really glad you enjoy the story so far. it means a lot coming from one of my favorite authors. and I had so much fun designing future mewni and no rush. these stories aren't going anywhere.


	17. (insert Boss music)

Hello everyone! Mr.E here with the big big chapter i accidentally made you wait for a month. sorry time kinda slipped from me. Thank you for every favorite, follow and review. they mean the world to me and really make me happy you enjoy this story so much.

so in case you forgot, it is the big, bad battle between Connor and Jack and Kim. thank you to my good friend Deth or marionette-j2x for letting me use her ocs Kim, Jelina, Berry and Mary.

remember reviews are now answered at the bottom.

So i'm going to keep this story because its late and believe it or not you are getting another chapter this week. i got amazing art work and ask over on my tumblr nova-friends and i highly recommend you go check them out for some covy and general nova vs goodness. thank you so much again for everything. it means everything and really keeps me going. have an amazing week and enjoy the big battle! see you soon!

* * *

Jack snarled furiously as his claws dug into the walls, the thud, thud, thud of his footsteps scarcely heard over the scraping of his razor sharped nails against the smooth circular surface

Kim stood smugly while Jack rapidly approached, Nova completely still at his side.

"Okay pretty boy" Jack growled, skidding to a stop mid-run, feet firmly planted before his muscles tensed for a moment and with a mighty kick, he launched himself directly towards his foe "Stand still and be a good demonic hell spawn while I rip off your face."

Kim gave a playful smirk "You are my guest. I shall honor your request."

Jack's eyes narrowed, unsure what Kim had planned but it was far too late. The circular platform that hovered above the ground was fast approaching and Jack had no way to change course now.

Jack pulled his arm back, murdering signing in his eyes. Kim inched closer and closer, slowly coming with range of the approaching half demon and then, Jack, with a fierce swing of his arm, aimed for Kim's neck.

Screeeeech

Connor flinched, covering his ears from the terrible melody that came from out of nowhere.

Jack glare deeply at Kim who simply shrugged in response, a blue translucent wall separating the two combatants

Jack shifted his gaze to Nova who stared back blankly, pupils red and wand drawn.

"There are so many curse words I can use you on right now!" Jack yelled at the hypnotized princess "Seriously, you got to be fu..."

Nova flicked her wrist and the clear wall responded to her will, bending and twist as if it were alive. The spell pulled backwards, dragging the trapped Jack with it before pitching him forward, the protective barrier dissipating into thin air as the magician was flung back.

* * *

Jack bounced and skipped across the floor, letting out pained grunt each time he connected to the ground.

"uuuuuuuuuugh!" Jack growled, skidding to a stop in front of Connor "You!"

"Me?" Connor gestured to himself

"Why didn't you follow me?" Jack scolded, rising to his feet and clearing the dust off his clothing

"Follow you?" Connor couldn't keep the confusion out of his voice "How? I'm human!"

"You're an inventor!" Jack poked his chest accusingly "you can fly...can't you?"

"No!"

"What? What kind of self respected inventor hasn't invented a way to fly?"

"Me!" Connor rubbed his tiredly "Seriously Jack?"

"Well how was I suppose to know?" Jack shot back defensively

"Ask me Jack, ASK ME! You always do this every..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa you're getting mad at me? For what?..."

"...Every time we do something spur of the moment you forget to ask questions and..."

"...Seriously? Dude, you need to keep your girlfriend under control. She's not exactly making this rescue mission any easier..."

"...My girlfriend? we're not dating Jack. How many times do I have..."

"...Blah, blah, blah... seriously just ask her out already!..."

Kim stared, confused at the overlapping, arguing voices of the two best friend, their attention no longer on him but rather each other.

"Such annoying creatures. I'm just going to kill them now, is that alright with you my sweet?" Kim asked lovingly, cupping Nova's cheek gently in his hand.

Nova gave a short, curt nod.

* * *

"UGH" Jack walked away from Connor "Seriously? What the hell dude? I risk my life and more importantly, my mom's clothes to help you and your crush out from an evil demonic plot and this is how you thank me?"

"What do you want from me?" Connor countered, his arms flailing dramatically "I can't fly and there's no way I can walk on vertical, smooth walls Jack and if we can't get up there, we can't stop them!"

"That sounds like a you problem!" Jack yelled

"that sounds like an us problem!" Connor shouted back.

"Do you think it worked?" Jack questioned as a shadow fell over both teens.

"Totally!" Connor confirmed

The two nodded in agreement before leaping back in perfect sync.

Kim expected to be wiping an annoying demonic splat from underfoot. Instead found a broken, cracked floor and that irritating spawn coming straight for him.

Jack leapt into action, his fist sinking into Kim's jaw while throwing something underhand towards the still recovering Connor.

Nova landed a moment after Kim, using the wand as form of flight and while effective, it wasn't as elegant or controlled as the Lord of the manor's landing.

She hardly muttered a word as she waved her wand towards the ground. There was a flash and Nova bounced safely off a multicolored jelly that appeared below that disappeared with a pop as Nova gently landed.

Nova whirled around to the defenseless Connor, wand glimmering in the red glow of the room.

She fired a beam of pure magical rainbow energy directly at her best friend without so much as a blink.

Connor took a deep breath, trying his best to relax his body as both spell and shield came racing towards him, too close to call which would reach him first.

The shield skipped across the stone tile, bouncing once, twice and a third time before landing into Connor's waiting hand.

"I love hammer space!" Connor raised the shield as quickly as he could and held on for dear life.

The spell slammed into Connor's defense with a metallic clang.

Connor fell backwards, the shield flipping out of his hands and high into the air while he slid across the floor

Nova trembled for a moment before firing another spell at the sprawled inventor.

Connor rolled to the side, holding firmly onto his glasses as the spell flew by, missing him by mere inches.

Nova staggered for a moment. She clutched her head weakly but remained firmly under Kim's control.

Connor scrambled to his feet, narrowly avoiding another magical strike from his best friend.

"Come on Nova!" he called out to her, ducking under another attack "I know you're in there!"

Nova walked forward with a refined grace, batting spells left and right towards Connor.

* * *

Kim stumbled backwards, Jack's fist connecting with his stomach and knocking all the wind out of him. Before he could react, Jack's other fist struck his cheek sending him reeling further.

"Seriously?" Jack taunted, cracking his knuckles eagerly "I thought you'd be tougher"

Jack went for another jab directly for the smug teen's face

Kim smirked, catching Jack by the wrist and locking on with an iron grip

"I thought you'd be smarter" Kim teased before taking off high into the air, carrying a helpless Jack with him.

Jack frowned "OH COME ON, I HATE YOUR STUPID WINGS!"

"And I your stupid face!"

Jack muttered a curse his mother would've been proud of as Kim threw him effortlessly towards the nearest solid object.

Jack collided against the wall, cracking its once perfect surface.

"Oww" Jack moaned before crying out in pain again, Kim sinking both his feet directly into his stomach.

"That's how you fight" Kim's eyes glinted with a sick joy.

Jack's hands burst into flames, the half-demon lunging directly his enemy

Kim flew back just out of Jack's range and with a quick twirl, connected his foot to the back of the magician's head.

Jack smashed into the floor, leaving a deep indentation in his shape on the tile.

"Oww..." Jack peeled himself off the ground, wobbling unsteadily but maintaining his demonic form "how's the fight buddy?"

"Well..." Connor's strained voice called back, he was tucked into a little niche, shield in front as Nova pelleted him with various tiny sea animals, each one leaving another dent on Connor's line of defense "Not good."

"Awesome, me too"

There was the whistling of something rapidly approaching but Jack didn't need to guess what that meant.

He narrowly rolled out of the Jack shaped hole as Kim slammed into where Jack once lay, his fist sinking several inches into the earth

Jack let out a tired groan "oh. you're that type of demon"

Kim's smug smile was equal parts annoying and infuriating "yep, the superior kind"

Jack inhaled deeply, taking as much air as he could. He pressed his palms together and exhaled. A bright red flame escaped his lips, a spherical orb that grew and grew, elongating until the tiny ball of fire became a raging stream.

Kim lightly sweated at the sudden rise in temperature. The swirling vortex of flame approached, drawing ever closer to him though he made no move to avoid it.

Kim yawned, allowing the attack consume his form entirely.

Jack fell to his knee, struggling to maintain his form after an exhausting day.

"Two transformations in a day..." Jack huffed, beads of sweating running down his back "That's a record...oh man, sweat. I hate sweat..."

"I know right? So ungentlemanly" Kim's voice calmly responded, not even a slight tremor in his words.

Jack covered his eyes as a surge of black flames overtook his, extinguishing them and snuffing them out of existence while Kim stepped forward, the smirk all too obvious on his lips.

Jack let out an exasperated sigh

"What did you expect?" Kim scolded Jack, drawing closer and closer "You may be the prince of the Underworld but you are not your father. You do not possess his strength!"

Jack groaned as Kim kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him skidding onto the cold, damp floor

Jack winced as it became hard to breath, a dull painful ache in his chest told him he probably just cracked something, more than likely a rib.

* * *

Connor yelped, the shield moaning before snapping in half and flung to different corners of the corner less room.

Nova's movements were stiff and robotic, eyes still dull and a pale red.

"Nova, come on!" Connor cried out but she didn't listen, opting to instead try and blast him again.

Connor dove out of the way, flinching when his shoulder connected with the solid ground. He scampered to his feet, narrowly avoiding a second assault from the hypnotized princess.

Nova edged closer, never stopping in her pursuit of her best friend.

"Look I like the Terminator as much as the next fan, even if the series hasn't been good in a loooooong while, but this is a little overkill." Connor joked playfully.

Not even a smile.

"ugh, seriously? You can't keep this up Nova!"

Nova gave a grimace almost like she was agreeing with him but still she pressed forward.

"I know you can't" Connor whispered, backing away from his best friend "You hate this. I can tell even with your lifeless eyes. Oh man, that's an image I'm not getting out of my head any time soon."

Nova flicked her wrist: A wave of mutlicolored homing birds rocketed out of the wand and closed in on Connor.

Connor pivoted on his feet, ducking and weaving as the animals exploded around him in puffs of colorful explosions.

Connor dove forward, the last one exploding with a force far greater than the rest. Connor lost control, tumbling forward uncomfortably.

He coughed. Rainbow colored smoke poured out of his mouth as he glanced at his glasses, finally noticing a rather large crack that formed on one side.

"Oh man, mom's going to kill me."

The musical, whimsical tone of magic charging filled his ears and as he glanced up, he found himself face to face with Nova.

"Right, _she's_ going to kill me" Connor sighed tiredly.

* * *

Jack bit his tongue as he slid across the floor, clutching his broken arm tightly.

Kim was out for blood but he was going to enjoy this moment. He wanted to savior the failed attempt of those who were foolish enough to oppose him.

Jack took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the sudden sharp pain that would come in a moment. Steeling his nerves, he popped his wrist back into place, nearly letting out a cry of torment while the bone reformed, knitting back together perfectly though the dull throbbing remained.

"You can't keep healing your injuries Jack" Kim sneered, taking his time with his approach "You can't beat a pure blood demon. Not even with all your father's powers.

Jack weakly rose to his feet, still fighting the urge to go full demon. Even on his deathbead, that was an option he would never dare take. But he could feel it. He felt the survival instinct clawing at his will. The self preservation twisting and turning, attempting to wrestle itself out of his control but he wouldn't. He couldn't go that far. Nothing was worth that power.

Jack grimaced as Kim roughly grasped one of his horns and squeezed as hard as he could. Jack felt more sweat rolling down his forehead as a black flame crackled in Kim's other hand.

"How could you ever have thought you had a chance against me?" Kim taunted, his razor sharp fangs glinting with an evil gleam "You're half a human, half a demon. Two useless halves and never a whole."

Jack coughed, ignoring the crack noise of bone under Kim's iron grip "Easy, I trained with the best."

Kim let out a bone chilling laugh "All your father's training and you couldn't even wind me."

It was Jack's turn to smirk and for the first time in a long time, Kim felt a shiver of fear run down his spine.

"Not my dad, my mom."

Kim felt the fright drain out of him, a moment of tranquility after uncertainty.

"Your mother? What could your mother possibly have taught you that could outweigh the training of your father?"

Jack's fist blazed to life and with one swift movement, he threw one final punch at Kim.

Kim shook his head disappointingly, moving his face just out of range Jack's desperate attack. Just a pathetic attempt from a pathetic...

Instead of connecting with his punch, Jack opened his palm and...

Pop.

Kim cried out in pain as gunpowder and metallic filings scattered into his unprepared eyes which burned and itched with the intensity of molten lead as a brilliant array colorful sparks blinded him for a moment.

Jack scrambled to his feet, the firecracker wrapping burnt to crisp in his flaming grip "She taught me never to play fair!"

Jack slipped one hand into his pocket while the other made a mad grab for Kim's shoulder and while the full demon was stronger than Jack, he was far too distracted by the sudden counter attack to notice what was going on.

Jack nodded to himself as he felt his finger slip into the ring he carried in his pocket. He pulled Kim's shoulder forward while freeing his other hand and driving his fist directly into Kim's shoulder as hard as he could.

The flames died at once, wings fell limp as Kim staggered back, the worst burning sensation ever he felt digging deeper and deeper into his shoulder. Kim was confused by the pain he was feeling. He routinely produced some of the hottest flames this side of the Underworld and he had never once felt the cruel touch of flames. But now he felt it. He felt searing, unbearable pain seeping into his skin, tears form in his eyes despite his efforts to shrug it off.

Kim swayed uneasily. He felt weak, drained, helpless. He staggered away from Jack, openly glaring at the half demon

Jack cockily smiled at Kim, flexing his fingers threateningly as he gestured at his enemy with the ring.

"What _was_ that?" Kim snarled despite how woozy he felt.

"Easy" Jack explained with the smuggest voice he could muster "another gift from my mom. She gave it to me in case I ever had to go toe to toe with a demon."

Kim shook his head in disbelief "Impossible! Humans have nothing to stop demons! They have no knowledge of magic or alchemy or..."

"Psst" Jack rolled his eyes "Clearly you don't know my mom. Loves all that witchy stuff. Like this little baby for example."

Jack showed off his dull black, faded ring carefully to Kim. Kim stared at it wordless. It was a rather strange, warped, five-pointed star with a flaming eye in its center carefully etched into the accessory and despite not knowing what it was, he felt great fear just looking upon on it.

"It's called an Elder Sign" Jack explained, moving it closer to Kim and getting a chuckle at the fell demon's panicked response "It's an ancient ward against evil, malevolent beings. Demons included. It's great for punching them in their self-satisfied, jerky faces."

"B-but you're a demon too!" Kim protested "it should be hurting you as well"

"Ah ah ah, half. Checkmate" Jack grinned, his smile a facade about how dead tired he felt "hey...what's that?"

"What?" Kim glanced about his body, suddenly feeling very self-aware and exposed

Jack motioned to dark, wisp smoke trailing of his body, blanketing Kim like a cape "All this black smoke..."

"Black smoke? I do not understand...and who are you!? Why are you in my home? I did not grant you permission to enter!"

Jack raised an eyebrow "We were kinda fighting to the death a minute ago...you really don't remember that?"

Kim's face broke out into genuine confusion. Jack could see him straining to piece together the mystery of this strange, well dressed teen and why his shoulder burned terribly.

"Huh." Jack said with a nod "Interesting and for the record, I was totally kicking your ass this whole time."

"Your clothes seemed a bit charred."

"Oh" Jack glanced down "Oh yeah, I did that. Got a little out of control. Blood lust and such"

Kim's gaze was confused and unsure but he certainly didn't seem like he was suddenly going to lunge at Jack without warning

Jack reached for the smoke but to his surprise, it inched away from him. Almost like it was...

"Okay, OUT!" Jack snarled, holding the ring up in a threatening matter "Exit from the demon's body right now or I will sucker punch you! I MEAN IT! SHOO!"

The smoke shifted back and forth before fading away, harsh low whispers muttering under the red glow of the room.

"Umm...sir?" Kim gently asked "What is going on?"

"Well it's a long story" Jack began before a thought hit him like a runaway train "OH WAIT, MY HUMAN!"

Jack turned around in time to see a flash of bright light.

* * *

 _Meanwhile, a few seconds ago._

"Just like that?" Connor asked "Narwhal to the face? I always thought you'd take me out with a hammer for talking to Missy."

Nova twitched uncomfortably at the sound of her rival's name

"Cool, good to know!" Connor smiled, reaching directly for Nova's wand.

Nova pulled back, prepared to strike again when Connor took her hand in his, holding on tight and pulling her forward.

Nova stared blankly at his action, her face set somewhere between lost and eager.

"Come on princess, let's dance!"

Nova swung her wand towards Connor's face but he was already pulling in the opposite direction, forcing her to pivot on her heels or fall flat on her face.

Nova shifted uncomfortably as she went for another swing at her best friend but Connor began pulling her into a dizzying spinning.

Nova reacted naturally, tilting her back as she twirled on the balls of her feet, holding onto Connor's hand with a firm yet distance grasp.

Nova pulled herself to a stop, firing a spell point blank at Connor who elegantly dove out of the way, tumbling into a roll and rising to his feet in the most dramatic pose he could must

Nova snickered, covering her mouth at the inventor's ridiculous action, her red eyes slowly changing colors.

"Come on Nova, dance with me!"

Nova attacked with her wand but it was lazy at best.

Connor took her hand once again, pulling her into another spin while ignoring how tired and weary his body felt. His limitations were catching up but he needed to push on. He was so close, he could feel it.

Nova's wand arm fell at her side, the pair slowing to a stop.

"Nova...you there?"

Nova blinked once...twice...

"Four..ey..."

Pop.

There burst of an explosive startled the unsuspecting pair and Nova reacted

There was a blinding flash of light and Connor crumpled to his knees, heavily breathing as he took a spell to the chest.

The fog cleared and Nova found herself staring an injured Connor in a dark creepy room basking in a really tacky red light.

"Connor!" Nova cried out, dropping the wand and reaching for him.

Nova's body was more fatigued than she remembered. Her bare feet slipped on the tile and fell to the ground, wildly grasping at anything she could to break her fall.

She shut her eyes in reflex and prepared to hit the floor at full speed.

Instead she landed on something squishy yet firm.

She peeked a single eye opened, electric blue meeting forest as Connor gave a half worried, half relived look directed at her as she lay in his arms.

"Connor?" Nova questioned gently, unsure if she was really seeing him "Connor! I..."

The wand hit the tile with a muted thud. There was a moment of tensed silence.

The wand let loose a torrent of magical energy and like a knife, cut and etched itself across any surface it ran across, striking in any and all directions wildly before connecting with the circular platform overhead.

The platform groaned angrily, rock and rubble breaking off in large chunks as it fell towards the two weaken best friends.

"Connor!"

Connor held Nova closer, refusing to let go for any reason. Even being crushed by giant stone blocks.

A moment passed and despite how fast Connor had calculated the fall speed of the heavy object, he and presumably Nova, were still alive.

Connor opened a single eye and found Jack holding the entire structure by himself, hands firmly planted underneath though straining to keep it from crushing everyone.

"Yeah, sweet reunion, can we do this somewhere else?" Jack told them, holding none of the sarcasm back.

Nova scrambled for her wand, aiming high and praying she remembered the spell correctly.

"Bubble gum bubble pop!"

The room filled with the sound of air expanding as a small, ever growing pink bubble formed out of the star embedded in the wand, expanding and expand until it swallowed the platform whole and with a loud, thunderous pop, vanished into the void with no trace of the object in sight.

The trio fell upon the floor, tired, weary and winded.

"Council vote" Connor shouted "Never do that again? All in favor?"

Jack and Nova vigorously agreed

"Agreed" Connor let out a relived sigh.

"Master KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!"

Nova, Connor and Jack sat back at once, halfheartedly striking various fighting poses though Berry, Mary and Jelina ignored them as they rushed to their master's side.

Kim stared quizzically at his maids, unsure why they were so happy to see him. True their relationship was very solid but he had never seen them so joyful before

"Ladies?" Kim asked, struggling to get to his feet.

Berry jumped into action first, easily lifting Kim onto her back and holding on tightly.

"Master" Jelina began warily "Are you...well?"

Kim raised an eyebrow at her question "I feel well...mostly. Is there any particular reason I should not be feeling well?"

Jelina shook her head "No my lord. I shall explain later but for now we must leave." Jelina turned sharply towards the trio "We must _all_ leave"

Jack nodded, completely understanding what Jelina was trying to say

"No"

Nova did not.

She rose to her feet shakily, using Connor for support as she shot an accusing glare towards Kim and the maids "No, they kidnapped me and held me hostage, I'm not trusting any of them!"

Kim was taken aback.

"I did what now? No offense but I don't care how cute you are, I wouldn't risk my standing with the demonic board to kidnap the princess of Mewni."

"wait, what?"

Kim scoffed "many beings know who you are."

That didn't comfort Nova but before she could argue further, Connor pulled at her hand.

Nova took his in hers and using the little strength she had left, help him to his feet, catching him when he fell too far forward.

Her cheeks were tinted red though no one could notice in the glint of the red lights overhead.

"It's okay, they helped us." Connor explained, holding onto Nova's shoulder reassuringly "It's thanks to them we even got this far."

"Enough" Mary growled, cutting any and all conversations off "We need to go before our other guests discover we're not following script anymore."

"Too late"

Mary and Jack let out an annoyed grunt as the door was flung open, dozens of dark robed, hooded figures slipping into the room and outnumbering the group.

"Who are they?" Kim asked, unsure why so many people were in his home.

"Your guests you invited m'lord."

"I did what now?"

"Enough talking" Mary snarled, taking a step forward "we need to go and the only way is through them!"

"Dimensional scissors!" Nova cried out, frantically reaching for her pocket only to find nothing of the sort "Ugh, this stupid dress!"

"I think it looks fetching on you princess."

"Not now lover boy" Jack cut off Kim, pushing Connor and Nova behind him "We can't, he's got a crystal that prevents portals from forming. We're trapped."

Jelina took her place to Mary with an air of finality "You rescued our master. You have done enough, we will take care of this."

Berry shook uneasily "I dunno...there's a lot Jelly..."

"We will fight" Jelina replied "and protect our lord."

Nova glanced nervously towards the sea of hooded figures, each swaying hypnotically back and forth. It was impossible to tell how many there were but it seems they were about to find out.

Jelina took a deep breath, holding onto Mary's shoulder reassuringly. She vowed to protect her master at any cost. A promise she would fulfill even if she must die. It was her duty as...

The air howled loudly, a fierce wind swirling about as largest dimensional portal Nova had ever seen formed above them without warning, the harsh, pale red illumination replaced with brighter, gentler familiar glow of Earth's sun. There was an impossibly small silhouette staring down from on high though Nova couldn't tell who it...

"Novy, is that you?"

"Sol?!" Nova's tone was incredulous as expected

"Oh good, it took a few times to find you."

"Sol!" Nova called out "Sol, how did you...?"

"They're here! found them!" Sol let out the cutest yawn, stretching his tiny arms as he stumbled out of view "I'm tired. I'm going sleepys now."

No one said anything and even the cultist shared an uneasy, confused gaze with one another.

There was the sounds of deep thuds, metallic footsteps that grew louder and louder each passing moment.

Another figure appeared, a towering shade in the light. With a mighty jump they fell through and landed on one knee into the Underworld.

They rose slowly. The figure was clad in a dull grayish suit of armor, a large pink plume sitting on top of their helmet. The face plate was monstrous, two sharp fangs protruding from either side of the face. The figure held aloft a massive war hammer with one hand, stretching their body for the battle ahead.

"None shall harm the princess or her friends." a feminine yet firm voice called out to the cultists "If you proceed, I will strike you down without remorse."

Nova felt a wave of relief wash over her as her body relaxed into Connor's embrace "Katrina!"

Nova could imagine the smile her big sister must've heard when she heard the princess call out for her.

The cultist made no motion of giving up or even that they heard the warning given to them.

Katrina flexed her arm once more, placing her weapon carefully on the floor.

"I am Katrina Bulgolyubov" She shouted into the crowd "Daughter of Yvgeny Buglolyubov and personal bodyguard of Queen Star Butterfly and the royal family of Mewni."

Katrina picked up the hammer easily, gesturing to the mob with a lazy, one handed swing.

"You have been warned."

* * *

a special thanks to guest sorta: how about 2 chapters in a week? sound good?

princessxgilex- thank you for your review!

Rocierra: of course, i've been building up to it! :)

HiQ: into the fray! WILL YOUR BRAVE BOYS SURVIVE? man i sure hope so. haha thanks my dear friend *HUGS!* noted and noted

jjmmmlol: because life is chaotic and that's okay. haha thanks! good luck to you!

Edward-human16: of course i did bwahaha. yeah i feel like daron now

Finn; thanks!

author Smimph: shit's about to hit the fan. haha for someone who doesn't like school, he knows a lot of stuff *he just pretends not to* hammer space is when you can pull something large from something small. it's named hammer space after the first person who introduced the very idea: Bugs bunny with a hammer (no joke) ooooh fancy thanks and have a great week!

dinodude: haha good question

H.E.A shipper: ah! semi four wall break, sweeeet haha here it is!

Mainfisto" haha i took a survey and 9 out of 10 Canadians gave me the same answer

Axis26: of course he needs to embarrass Star, it's Marco's job! no worries things happen. chapter 5: yep, that's where the plush is from. Sol is boundless energy incarnate! haha i think he found someone huh? Sol has to keep busy or he'll go mad with power and ideas. Nova tries haha yeah even after all these years, Star can't drive. Falling pines was a joke before i decided to make Gravity falls a thing in here, so Falling pines is a show Mabel sold to the kids station under "fiction". i'm glad. there will be more sol chapters later. chapter 3: it's okay good sir. Connor is used to Star's stories. i can help you practice good sir or give advice though you aren't so bad yourself. Sol is the ultimate wing man. Star loves Nova immensely. haha she's addicted to her husband and they finally got official married! no worries, this story isn't going anywhere. haha both would do that. yep still kissing. There's a reason you can never take your eyes off sol. haha yeah it worked out that Star happens to lazy rather than powerless. work break!yep, gotta sow that conflict. all the conflict, jack of course arrives and kinda just takes his place as primary character. yes yes he is that dense. yeah i got something planned with Roman and adopted. always sink lower. of course it's secret. chapter 4: yep. late on purpose. Nova did say. she doesn't. yep no one knew where the page went. except star. nova don't is a common phrase here all is fair. Janna is always janna and even jack is not immune. mother taught son so yeah a bit. school is chaotic haha :) keyed up. she hasn't seen death note though connor keeps bugging her. yep it is school and irony. he has not changed after all these years. That is a good question. you say degree, i say threatened. C scale isnt that important. it's the scale is where notes are notes with no alternating and that's a not really a school thing. more of a band nerd. Chapter 6: Connor is used to keyboard prints. oh yeah he was accepted into something. what happens next? we'll see he knows he has a rare chance. it's more basic. he's really piggybacking off his parents programming skills. Connor is 14 but he's also paranoid since there was that one time she dimension scissored her way into his room without warning when they were 12. yeah this is their first appearance. just a bit. there's just too much to do during the day. nah but connor feels aware of it. toaster is always the first to go in this house. it went better than last time. all robots are stranger, when you're alone. dang i started singing. i know! i used it in the story. yeah sometimes we need to play with reality. murder is always a sore subject. she's more annoyed she lost oil. Connor has rubber sole shoes. most of the time. there's a little glitch with it. no, it will never be the same. indeed. yeah it's on the list of things that need to replace. Connor always dabbled in minor surgeries with metal. but no, does not have a degree. haha connor is pretty honest about his ability. chapter 7: don't worry this story is meant to be read whenever. still COVY AHOY! yeah he thinks everyone is an unrefined savage. indeed. Connor does not see any links between your examples. yes the fashion witch was born with a rare sixth sense. it didnt work right. haha sure lizard man. fire is always smashing. of course, she forgot to buy a costume so she just robbed her husband and its her coping method. Marco is drac. Markeey cares not for your love of potatoes. well Markeey has no proper setting so it's more mods. indeed. haha that's what i was going for. sing siiiing! Markeey has a strange anger towards potatoes but whyyyyy? yep, Sol can change his hair at will. magic. me too! way cooler than i planned. yeah that was a second crew cuz canon. do it AU AU AU! i mean if you want of course. no rush. he doesn't need to know about connie. yeah Nova's words shift when frightened. she had little time, she can't always hide everything. yep and connor for the catch. yep thats how it worked. totally counts. im not sure. might've been an old dress. they hit about 2 or 3 so far. i knew you would! Jack, who will steal 50 back. don't worry she's got connor

thundermist: haha i couldn't resist the ending. We'll see. my babies aren't safe from my wrath and yes you could try. good luck though AWESOME keep up the hard work :) thanks for your review!

marionette: I know i know *hands you more candy

Sir Starcoshipper: hahah that's awesome. i wish this could be the next show real life. oddly cute and charming but starco forever

SonicE1337: all the cliffhangers and fourth walls are breaking!no such thing as too much meta. well yeah there is. aww thanks, here's hoping for 17! stay awesome bro!

Minthia: because I am a writer and reading 12,000 words is taxing. sorry it is done and yeah go over to marionette-j2x on tumblr and type in berry in the search bar and you'll find them since they're her ocs.

valyoaks: i'm glad! i hope you enjoy the story!

elisablackcat: aww thank you. i would be so honored if nova got a spin. im glad you enjoy it and thank you for the review and the support. that's how this story got made and keeps being as good as i can make it!

jt6742: here it is! and i can't really comic. sorry.


	18. This is how we do it

Hello everyone, Mr.E here and I LIIIIIIVE! first of all thank you so much for every single review, favorite and follow even when i wasn't updating. it means the world to me and really pushed me to come back asap.

I want to apologize to everyone about suddenly disappearing so suddenly. In case you don't read my other stories, I have been writing for nearly 2 years now in june and despite the random bouts where I didn't update, i never actually took a break from writing where i wouldn't have to worry about updates or chapter ideas or new stories i wanted to tell. so i decided to take break and I come back to you ready to keep writing.

i want to give a special thank you to everyone who asks questions at nova-friends on tumblr and submits ideas and artwork and all that great. I never thought I would ever get artwork based on my own ocs and honestly, people have been submitting actual covy children (some based on the official ideas on the ideas i had and others completely original and their own version) Seriously all you readers are the best and I have some grateful for all of you and your support. thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So here we are the last chapter of the current arc thought up by my good friend marionette-j2x. a special thanks to her for this great idea she came up with and her ocs she let me borrow *Jelina, Mary and Berry with their master kim* a special thanks to fandomlover who changed his name on tumblr but im not sure if he did here for helping with some translations I really appreciate both their help on this story.

This is not the finale of nova, just the start of a new arc which i hope you all enjoy it. I wish you all a great week and let's get this started! remember all reviews are answered at the end of the story now.

Enjoy and have a fantastic week!

* * *

There was a deathly silence that filled the air, a stillness that no one seemed to want to break.

Katrina stood defiant in front of the children, hammer still embedded in the ground before the shifting, almost slithering robes of the cultists, their eyes empty and lifeless.

"Do you refuse to yield?" Katrina asked, body tensed with preparation.

She knew their answer already but never hurt to make sure. Royal bodyguard she may be but she was always fair.

The cultists stared at one another, not a single word shared among them but each agreeing with the same course of action.

Together as one, they surged forward, their thick black robes moving as a singular entity and making it seem like the shadows themselves were lunging towards the group.

"Yep" Katrina muttered to herself as she kicked her weapon into her armored gauntlet, lifting the massive object without pause "That's what I thought."

Katrina leapt into action, swirling and twisting her body around faster and faster until she was a whirling hurricane of righteous fury.

The cultists paused in their charge, sharing a concern look of regret as Katrina crashed into the frozen foes and sending several flying helplessly through the air.

Katrina was relentless in her attack: Her hammer swept droves of enemies off their feet, scattering and breaking their formation with one blow.

The closest cultists jumped onto the armored figure, trying to use their weight to slow the juggernaut but all that managed to achieve was let loose a sigh of annoyance.

Katrina effortlessly gripped a helpless cultist in her hand, rolling her eyes as she threw them as far as she could, an unseen smirking gracing her lips while the sickening crunch of his bones against the solid stones walls filled the room.

However, Katrina was but one warrior among a sea of enemies and no matter how many she held back, she could not stop them all.

Katrina reached for one of the robed figures who managed to slip under her and bolted towards the helpless children but before she could grasp his hood, another one of his comrades slammed his fist against her chest plate. While the attack had done nothing more than broke the attacker's hand, it had startled Katrina enough. Instincts took over and she turned around, instinctively grabbing head of the unlucky cultist and smashing her helmet into him, sending him reeling to the floor.

"Wait, NO!" Katrina cried but the cultists were swarming and Katrina had no time to lament her failure. She thrust her hammer outward, catching an approaching enemy in the stomach before flexing. With one mighty shove, the nearest cultists skidded the floor with an angry Katrina looming over them.

* * *

Jack was the first noticed a few of the robed figures heading their way, a small group that manged to break through Katrina's defense.

Jack wobbled to his feet, his body tired and sore from the previous battles. Two transformations a day had drained a lot out of him but he had no choice but to attempt a third.

"What I do for covy..." Jack muttered wearily.

Jack stood up straight, trying to ignore the aches in his body but before he could even take a deep breath, someone gestured at him with a strange hand sign he vaguely remembered.

"Oh crap" Jack managed to get before he sailed through the air, the dark magic taking hold over him and bringing him closer to the figure.

Jack slid across the floor, wincing in pain as he fell a few feet short of the spell caster.

"You suck!" Jack shouted angrily, struggling to get to his feet "Seriously, my lola can do magic better than you and she doesn't understand what a wiccan is!"

The hooded caster made no indication he heard the half demon. Instead, he broke into a sprint, drawing closer and closer to the helpless Jack.

Jack gripped the stone floor rightly, his claws digging into the tile as he tried to will himself up but he felt like there was a massive weight on the back of his head pushing him against the floor.

"Stop struggling, I need a steady surface."

"YOU!" Jack snarled when he finally noticed Jelina kneeling next to him, one hand held firmly on her massive bazooka and the other square on Jack's head, planting him firmly to the ground.

"I know you don't need my help right now" Jelina explained, a hint of sarcasm hidden in her neutral voice "But could you please stay down? I need to provide covering fire if we are to escape"

"I hate you" Jack muttered quietly as Jelina began unleashing a barrage of missiles into the thickest parts of the horde.

With hand grabbing at the scuff of Jack's collar, Jelina rose to her feet, hoisting the magician in the air like he was some sort of kitten.

"I don't have a lot of ammo so keep up" Jelina told him flatly

Jack struggled, flailing his arms and legs wildly in an attempt to break free of the mechanical maiden's grip "Well put me down and I'll..."

"No time"

and without warning, Jelina broke into a full sprint, the world becoming a blur of colors that lasted only a moment before Jack found himself unceremoniously dumped next to the still embraced figures of Nova and Connor

"Alright" Jack admitted "that was pretty cool."

"I'm afraid we have to engage the enemy" Jelina glanced towards Berry and Mary who nodded in agreement

"I forbid it" Kim chimed in defensively "You will not foolishly risk your lives."

"But master, we..."

"You live to serve me" Kim replied, a finality to his voice "You cannot do that if you are dead."

Before Jelina could argue, the room was filled with a pinkish purplish light that glowed softly in the darkness.

Amidst the fighting, everyone had forgotten about the still massive dimension portal lazily hovering where the ceiling once was.

The sudden shift in illumination blinded many of the combatants (except Katrina who kept wailing away on her foes unhindered.)

Nova rose her hand to shield her eyes from the glow, Connor's embrace tightening despite the warm feeling that surrounded them.

Something descended slowly. Nova could hear the light fluttering of wings approach, softly growing louder as the source of the light drew closer to her.

Nova squinted, trying her hardest to see past the blazing light.

"What is that?" Nova muttered to herself, leaning forward to get a closer look.

A little gasp escaped Nova's lips, her eyes wide with awe and wonder upon seeing through the veil of illumination.

"Mom..." she softly whispered.

Nova couldn't help but stare at her mother as the light slowly dimmed. She had never seen her mother in her Mewberty form before and despite the descriptions from varying sources, none had done the sight justice.

Her mother's normally fair skin was now tinged a deep, rich purple. Her pink, rose colored wings with fluttered gently behind her. Her long, golden blonde hair was now faded and twisted into two antenna like cones. Star wore sleek, well polished sliver battle armor that had obviously been custom made for the queen given her pair of arms were now six. Her eyes and hearts glowed with a harsh light and for once in her life Nova could feel the royal authority behind her mother.

This was the Butterfly that would not allow anyone to deny her her choice of husband. That was the Butterfly that fought tooth and nail to reunite with her beloved and daughter. That was the Butterfly who defeated Toffee and reformed an ancient dynasty, bringing unity to two warring enemies. That was the Butterfly who connected two dimensions forever.

That was Star Butterfly.

The light faded from her eyes and hearts, returning them to normal.

"Mom!" Nova cried, unable to help herself as she raced forward (with Connor supporting from behind)

She lunged at her mother, locking her arms around her tightly as tears began to pool in her eyes

"Mommy, I'm so happy you're here" Nova sniffled "I was so scared. I thought I wasn't going to see you again a-and the wand! Mom, I'm sorry I couldn't..."

Nova fell silent as Star's hand gently brushed her hair, her touch soft and affectionate while she held Nova closer.

"I'm here. Mommy's got you sweetie. You are safe. Nothing else matters."

Nova pulled away only to find a relived smile on Star's face, her eyes warm and loving.

"Hey, what about me?" A voice called from behind Star.

"D-dad? You're here too?"

Marco scoffed in mock annoyance as he appeared from behind Star, still well dressed though now rocking another accessory in the form of a sheathed katana.

"My little girl was kidnapped! Of course I'm going to be here." Marco rolled his eyes playfully.

Nova tackled him, hugging her father tightly while the tears flowed freely down her cheeks

"There, there angel" Marco whispered gently, patting Nova's head lovingly "It's okay. We're here."

Marco and Star shared a look, one that brought a shiver down Nova's spine.

"OOOOOOO KATRINAKINS!"

Katrina flinched in embarrassment, ignoring the thrashing of the figure whose figure she held by the throat.

"Your majesty, did you have to call me that here? _Now_?"

Star gave a peppy nod as Marco ushered everyone behind himself and his wife.

"Of course. Katrina, please come back and help the children through the portal. Kim and his maids included. _We_ will take care of this."

Katrina's mask was indifferent but the fierce warrior's posture changed at once.

"Oh boy" Katrina muttered to the still struggling cultist "You are all in trouble now"

Katrina smashed the figure against the ground and jumped high into the air, effortlessly landing next to Star and Marco in a single leap.

"Okay kids time to go!" Katrina instructed, hoisting Connor by the scuff and tossing him through the massive portal

Connor flailed wildly for a moment before landing on the Diaz's living floor with a muted thud.

Nova stayed back though close to Katrina who now was arguing with Kim about how much trouble he was in.

"In, now" Katrina snarled

"we refuse" Jelina shot back, the trio of mechanical maidens standing between the towering monster and their demon lord.

"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice. You are under suspicion of conspiracy of kidnapping the princess and if I have to take you by force, I will."

"Wow" Berry chimed in, thoroughly impressed "that sounds bad. Really bad."

"Ugh, who cares" Mary crossed her arms "We're not going with you."

"Our master has done nothing wrong. We refuse to comply with your request" jelina added in

"Ladies"

The trio turned to Kim who gestured them to remain calm

"I will go with you"

"Master!" The maids cried out indignantly

Kim raised his hand and they fell silent at once

"My maids will accompany me of course" Kim went on "I will go with you willingly though I suspect you to be honest in your findings."

Katrina gave a curt nod "We just need to verify if you were working alone or of your own free will. Nothing more."

Kim nodded "I agree to your terms, shall we?"

Katrina picked up Kim with one hand and the fuming maids in the other, placing them carefully on the floor away from the portal

Sol stared at the demonic overlord and the brightly colored maids that suddenly appeared in his home.

"Whoa" Sol nodded "I'm going to need more cookies" and promptly raced into the kitchen to get snacks for their guests.

* * *

Marco drew his katana, tossing the sheath into the portal and onto the couch.

Star took a step forward. There were still dozens upon dozens of cultists despite the countless groaning bodies that littered the floor.

Star took a deep, calming breath. She closed her eyes, imagining a peaceful relaxing field in Mewni she was so fond of.

Marco braced himself, hands covering his ears.

Star's eyes snapped open, her grin bending into a bone chilling smirk.

The cultists fidgeted nervously, their self preservation instincts screaming at them to run for the door.

"So." Star spoke gently, her gaze scanning the sea of fabric that stood before her "YOU TRIED TO KIDNAP MY LITTLE GIRL!?"

Star's voice boomed with an unearthly volume, shaking the hooded figures externally and internally.

Despite their stoic, inhuman nature, they shuddered at the sound of pure anger laced within the mother's tone.

Star hadn't even waited for a response.

She gestured outward with a single hand and before faster than anyone could anticipate, ribbons of pink energy collided with several cultist chests, sending them crashing into those fortunate enough not to blasted by the righteous fury of Mewni's queen.

Silence as the world seemed to slow, Star's fingers smoking in the stillness

With a screeching battle cry, the figures that remained standing raced forward, hoping to overwhelm the Mewman with their sheer numbers.

Marco rolled his eyes, strolling past Star to place himself between the horde and his wife.

"Marco sweetie" Star cooed lovingly

"Yes honey?"

"Save some for me, will you?"

Marco a gave short nod as he held his katana at his side.

One poor soul made the unfortunate decision to lunge at Marco, thinking it was the most brilliant idea he ever had.

Marco smirked, swinging the flat of his blade against the mid-air foe who tumbled to the floor face first, his nose breaking with a sickening crunch.

Marco charged forward, pushing deep into the crowd while his sword blurred about his body with inhuman speed

Cultists fell at his feet, clutching the various body parts Marco struck achingly, thick, nasty looking bruises already forming.

Marco slashed towards a line of approaching hooded figures and with a flick of his wrists, pieces of hair fell gently to the floor, their owners clutching at their heads fearfully as they backed away from the king.

"got you!" Someone cried from behind, leaping onto Marco's back and attempting to trap him in a hold "Surrender or..."

Crack.

The figure stumbled backwards, a river of crimson leaking from his nose. Marco swiftly turned about and drove the hilt of his katana into the attacker's forehead.

He crumpled to the floor motionless at his feet.

The cultists were giving Marco a wide berth now, surrounding him a very loose circle.

"Look, I just want to go home" Marco told them, motioning with his weapon casually "Just back off and this won't hurt. Well it will hurt but it won't hurt as much as if you make me take you down. What I mean to say the ratio of pain is lessened if you just give up"

"Marco! Stop mathing at them and kick their butts" Star yelled

"You are but a man!"

"But I'm not" a voice called from the door way and stepping out of the shadows was Tom who was as impeccably dressed as Marco.

Marco waved cheerfully with his sword "Oh hey Tom! What brings you here?"

"I figured we could speed this along. Got word that Kim is not a board member and thus fair game. Hey, are we still meeting up for bowling?"

"Totally" Marco nodded in agreement "But this is getting boring. Let's wrap thing up.

"Boring?!" The cultists cried out indignantly but their groans of complaint grew into whimpers of fear as Tom's trio of eyes glowed with a blood red hue.

The CEO of the Underworld grew in size, his limbs and body elongating to an impossible length. his entire form changed, growing and growing as his muscles budged outward ripping the fabric of his shirt. His nails grew and glimmer with a razor sharpness. Glowing orange demonic runes were scrawled every inch of his body as his horns bent and curved backwards, twisting in a tight loop. Flames spread across the normally clean shaven face of the demon until a thick, burning beard made of pure fire crackled against his skin.

Tom let out a roar that shook the very foundation of the world before reaching for a hooded figure, easily plucking him from the sea of his comrades despite his struggling.

Tom swept outward, knocking rows of the cultists to the floor as Marco sprang into action, driving his hilt and flat of his blade into every forehead he could find.

Star took to the skies, bombarded the unlucky souls below with multicolored narwhals, ribbons of concussive force and bright pink gumballs of energy.

Nova watched in awe as the numerous enemies dwindled rapidly before her eyes.

Nova shifted guiltily at the sight of her parents

"They really are amazing..." She mumbled sadly to herself.

Star waved with a free hand and at her command swirls of pink energy formed at the cultists feet, spinning faster and faster with a reckless abandon before forming into a thick, powerful pink tornado that swallowed entire figures whole and trapped them in an endless cycle.

Several figures attempted to leap at Tom all at once in hopes of somehow overwhelming the demonic lord but Tom swiped them out of the air, sending them crashing against the solid stone floor before giving them a good punt outside the door.

Marco ducked and weaved through the hooded figures, expertly attacking any cultists who was foolish enough to try and stop him, making sure to give some warning cuts to some clothing for good measure

"That is pretty terrifying" Connor called to Nova, his green eyes wide with awe "I've never seen your parents fight before."

"I've never seen mom transform before." Nova replied in a stun awe.

"What is going on here?!" A new voice called from the Diaz household.

The fighting stopped at once with no one sure why exactly everyone had paused.

There was a dull thud as someone fell through the portal into the underworld, the darkness of the room against the illumination from the setting sun on Earth basked the person in a shadowy silhouette

"JACK!" A motherly whine called out and before the young half demon knew it, he found himself trapped in a familiarly tight embrace.

"MOM!" Jack cried out in embarrassment, much to his horror "What are you doing here?! AND STOP TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"How dare you run off to the Underworld without telling me?" Janna scolded, grabbing and pulling on her son's ear "Hmm? What were you thinking?"

"Oww, OWW! sinusubukan ko lang makatulong sa aking mga kaibigan!"

"Really?" Janna peered closer "AND YOU RUINED YOUR CLOTHES?!"

"MOM!" Jack whimpered helplessly

"Don't you mom me!" Janna frowned "I worked very hard to make you those clothes and you can't even keep them cleaned?!"

"I was in the Underworld mom! It's kinda hard to..."

"Excuses" Janna cut in.

"Umm..." Connor said calmly "is this really...?"

"Yep" Nova confirmed, her gaze never leaving mother and son "It's happening"

"and YOU"

A cultist froze as Janna pointed directly towards him, inching closer and closer with a blind rage in her stance.

"M-me?" The cultist stammered

Janna gave him a quizzically stare before punching him straight in the jaw and sending tumbling to the floor.

"not you" Janna scoffed before turning furiously at the towering Tom "YOU"

"Me?" Tom gestured helplessly to himself "Wait, what?"

"You let our son..."

"Mom, it's not..."

"... go on a dangerous rescue mission to the underworld."

"Wait, Janna it's not like..."

"AND DIDN'T TELL ME?"

Tom taken aback "He just showed up on my doorstep! I didn't really have time to call you."

"Did you at least give him the armor?"

"He's wearing it sweetie"

"And did you at least walk him here?"

"Janna I couldn't just..."

Janna shook her head disappointingly "We'll talk about this later."

Janna turned to face the few cultists that remained and told them in a low, dangerous whisper "get out."

The cultists shared a surprised look with one another. Was this woman really expecting to...

One of the hooded figures jumped as a battle ax suddenly embedded itself in the floor, barely missing his arm by an inch or so.

Janna leaned in closer, hilt of the weapon still in her hand "I said go."

The cultist opened his mouth to reply when he felt something warm tickling down his arm. He glanced to find a piece of his robe had been cut off and something red trickling down his arm.

The cultist fled at once, tripping and falling over their fallen in their race to escape.

Silence overtook the room once again before shattered by a loving, excited "JANNA BANANA!"

Janna barely braced herself in time for Star sudden hug attack, the queen of Mewni wrapping her arms tightly around her deputy mayor while bouncing up and down (Luckily she had returned to her normal Mewman form)

"Hey Star" Janna greeted in a lazy drawl, patting Star's back in a friendly manner "Been a while."

"it has!" Star pouted "You have to tell me how it went in Paris. Tell me tell me tell me!"

"Star" Janna raised a hand to stop the mayor's pawing "Kids"

"Don't worry Katrina's got them buuuut we better go. We need to close the giant portal we left in the ceiling."

"So..." Tom coughed, slowly approaching his wife "You look..."

"Yes I look good and yes I'm still mad. Come on hothead"

* * *

Nova felt strange sense of disconnection just sitting in the living room next to Jack and Connor despite being trapped with a demon's manor just moments before. The adults stood around them in a loose formation, talking about life and things that occurred since the last time they saw each other but Nova could feel the worry roll off of them, their gazes protective yet relaxed though it's probably the several massive Mewman knights standing at every possible entrance into the house, at the ready.

Katrina was sitting on the floor, laughing at Sol who was eagerly trying on her helmet despite the fact it was several times too big and span freely on his head.

"Everything is so normal" Nova said cautiously " like nothing happened."

"I know right?" Connor added in, eying his surroundings carefully.

Jack shrugged indifferently "This isn't our parents first battle."

Nova thought back to her mother's Mewberty form, how majestic and powerful she had been.

"...yeah..."

Marco carefully approached the children, giving a reassuring smile "You guys okay?"

They all gave a nod

"So how many days were we gone?" Connor asked curiously

Marco scratched his chin thoughtfully "about 4 hours?"

"Four hours?! SERIOUSLY?!"

"Yeah, it's still Thursday"

Connor sunk into the couch in disbelief before wincing in pain.

"Connor!" Jack and Nova cried out in surprise.

"I'm fine" Connor tried to wave off their concern but he could the knowing glint of Mr. Diaz's eye

"Ah, first major battle huh? Probably got bruised pretty nicely"

"Connor!" Nova scolded.

"I'll be fine"

"Nova, bandage him up"

Nova sighed dramatically "C'mon Connor."

Connor stayed still

Jack raised an eyebrow "I will carry you"

Connor shot to his feet at once, allowing the magical princess to lead him to the bathroom.

* * *

Connor sat there silently, trying his hardest not to flinch as Nova smoothed out the wrappings around his shirtless chest, her cold hands and the swelling of his bruises making it difficult to sit still.

Nova's face was bright red and she spent as much time as she could staring _away_ from Connor.

"H-hey, you got muscles now?" Nova commented offhandedly

"I-I guess?" Connor coughed "I mean I just invent...but I guess some of the pieces are pretty heavy..."

"R-right..."

Awkward silence fell over the teens who were determined to just get this over with.

"...I'm...sorry..."

"Huh?" Connor turned around only to found Nova staring at him, tears in her eyes.

"This happened because I wasn't strong enough...my own parents had to come and get me..."

"Nova? I don't..."

"I'm no Butterfly" she muttered sadly "I couldn't even fight off a stupid demon."

"HE'S NOT STUPID" The trio of maids shouted back.

"You know what my mom did when she was my age? SHE SAVED MY DAD WHEN HE WAS KIDNAPPED BY TOFFEE! I COULDN'T EVEN..."

Nova stopped as Connor held her closely

"Nova, you're okay. Everything's okay. That's all that matters."

Nova cried freely, wrapping her arms gently best friend.

Connor stroked Nova's hair softly, letting out a relived sigh.

Everything was okay.

* * *

Nova trudged her way to her bed after her mother decided it was best for the young ones to sleep. She threw off her father's hoodie and sat at the edge of her bed, preparing to head to sleep. Her father decided it was best if they all stayed home tomorrow given how chaotic today was.

She sighed deeply, holding her mother's devil headband gingerly in her hands.

What kind of princess was she? Not even a month with the wand and she was already kidnapped and endangering everyone. Who knows what could've happened if Connor and Jack hadn't came to save her or her parents failed to reach them in time.

Connor and Jack were asleep downstairs which brought her some small comfort but the failure of her duty gnawed at her entire being.

And as she tried to drift off to sleep, tossing and turning in her bed, all she could think of is how horrible she was at being a magical princess.

Maybe the nobles were right. Maybe she was no heir to Mewni.

* * *

a special thanks to minthia: haha interesting indeed haha don't worry you'll have more covy in the future. aww stay awesome yourself!

thefandombytes (aka fandomlover) oh you did change your name, good to know. haha who knows maybe they will dance some more. haha you have a lot of them. well you have a new chapter reread over and over again

finnjr: haha gotta make a good cliffhanger once in a while.

Elisablackcat: haha i had this idea Katrina would grow up admiring story (and she's totally Star's favorite) and we all know how Star is. I think my friend deth is working on Katrina. haha Jack has the best plans when he's not too lazy to think of it. hmm i wonder

guest sorta; yeah haha two chapters...sorry

guest: REUNITED AND IT'S GREAT haha because Vader will destroy everyone who hurts starco.

princessxgilex: thank you for your review *HUGS!

the portal passer; I hope you enjoyed the rest of the chapters! It's called dirty blonde i think. kinda like a sandy look.

infamous; All dem memes.

JJmmmlol: haha I'm glad to hear from you and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always try my best now i want lunch after that description haha I hope you keep enjoying the story.

thundermist: nope everything is almost normal again. ALMOST. and yep haha Connor doesn't usually think Nova as a threat so it's rare for him to consider her as one. don't worry take your time *looks at this chapter update* ha ha ha. honestly there's an amount i have but i could have different fillers and things like that so...yeah a lot of chapters planned have fun!

HiQ: (hugs!) haha yeah I'm sorry but i needed some froggy daughter in the future and given how much Star loved her, you know she's close to the family. Of course, Jack is a fighter, he just prefers to charm his way out of trouble. of course! haha connor came into this whole situation without much of a plan except get nova out. Yep, our favorite conflicting demon is fine though if he actually made a deal is a good question. as for the maids though, i have no idea what Marionette thought of when naming them (they are her oldest ocs or among them) yep sometimes better is preferred to perfect.

author smimph: haha yes I GET A CLAP AND A HALF! haha hey if jack wanted to play fair, he join a competition. haha yeah Jack and Nova are fighters but Connor isn't much of one especially against superhuman beings. He was raised with the mantra if you are not good at fighting, get good at getting out of the way. haha practice makes perfect and i hope you two are doing great.

I-proxy-I: thanks for your review though. hmm legend of korra, soul eater for anime, samurai jack (newest season is a bit adult though) umm star wars rebels *season 1 is good but it gets way better in 2 and 3)

thedarkflame: huh, Im not sure. you'll have to ask marionette given Kim is her character. haha i always try to add some comedy in serious situations (which is a habit i keep in real life) unless it has to be serious but i''m glad you enjoy their back and forth. haha i really could. they were really fun to write and their dynamic is great haha i think i probably accidentally made them that way and i enjoyed it way too much. haha always escalate! and don't apologize every review makes me smile , im glad you enjoyed it and right, update on time. ha ha ha

flamingkat: all the angst bwahaha

guest: today!

broken svtfoelover: i know right? where did i get the idea?

if i could begin to be: Sol is the smoothest ever!


	19. Friday

Hello everyone, mr.E here and you didn't have to wait an entire month for the next chapter yay! a deepest, most grateful thank you for every single review, follow and favorite. they warm my heart and really keep me going on writing. thank you so much.

I am in a bit of a rush so check out nova-friends on tumblr so increasingly amazing artwork, questions and little stories. serious i am getting spoiled and i can't thank you all enough. i mean it i say it all the time but I am really lucky and grateful to have so much support and love. thank you all.

So, this is the start of the brand new arc and with a new arc means i wanted to try something different and i hope you enjoy this little twist no one could've seen coming bwahaha so today is Friday *both when posted and in story* the entire kidnapping arc? yeah that was one day. Thursday to be specific and it was over the course of hours. so Friday ends the week and starts our new chapter.

So i won't ruin the surprise but I do hope you enjoy this little change i did. I felt it was the perfect chance to do so and i really hope you tell me what you thought about it. I really hope you enjoy.

That's it for me. have an amazing day, a great week and I will post soon!

* * *

"Goooood morning Echo Creek! It is a beautiful Friday morning. The weather looks to be a bright, sunny, an overall fantastic day! Not at all a symbolic representation of a stark contrast between human perception of reality and the truth of an uncaring, constantly shifting universe that cares not for humanity in the slightest! Today is throwback Friday because I absolutely refuse to work on Thursdays, that's Steve's job!"

The sunshine was indeed warm and gentle despite the hardships of the previous day.

The heavy weight remained however. The sickening, sinking feeling of helplessness mixed in with a churning guilty sensation that gnawed at the stomach hungrily.

A feeling that bubbled anxiously no matter how many times he tried to wish it away.

He gave a loud yawn, stretching his tired body as far as he could.

He felt sluggish despite getting the proper hours of sleep.

He let out a sigh, ruffling his black hair playfully. It didn't matter if it was messy, he'd just fix up in a minute.

He groggily rose from his simple framed bed, lurching across the well kept floor in his quest towards bathroom.

His eye caught sight of his reflection in the mirror and despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but face himself, raking his hands through his hair a second time as gray irises stared back at him.

"Okay" Roman told himself, giving the reflection an encouraging nod "You got this. Today's the quiz. You study long and hard for this! And afterward you can check up on Nova and Connor."

Roman let out a sigh of relief, grateful that everyone was safe and sound more or less.

True he didn't talk much to the magical princess given that her reaction of choice towards his appearance was to freeze up but he still consider her a friend. Connor of course was his go to for help whenever he needed assistance with tests and understanding concepts that seemed to elude him (which was all of them). Luckily the young inventor was more than willing to help out and had the patience to see him through any problem he was suffering from.

Roman shifted uneasily.

He wish he could've been more help yesterday when he discovered Nova had gone missing. He wish he could've joined in the search but he was just a human and he didn't have the experience Connor possessed on the infinite complex subject of magic.

Roman shook his head, trying to slip off the chains of worry and regret and focus on the ever approaching math quiz he had this morning.

"I got this" He told himself, grinning with a rare confidence.

Roman jumped as, without warning, the fire alarm went off, its shriek echoing loudly throughout the household.

Roman sprung into the hall, racing towards the kitchen as fast as he could.

Roman bound into the room only to find his father already putting out the flaming toaster with a fire extinguisher.

Oskar wiped the sweat from his brown before noticing he wasn't the only one in the room.

"Hey" Oskar greeted Roman, carefully placing the metal canister on the floor "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Roman shook his head "No, I was already awake dad. Toaster on the fritz again?"

Oskar gave an exhausted nod "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Maybe we should ask Connor to fix it or his parents?"

"nah, I'll figure it out. No need to bother them about this little thing."

Outwardly, Roman agreed with his father decision but internally he was already making mental notes to ask Connor for a hand in fixing the malfunctioning device. He knew his father hated asking for help given how much everyone gave to make his dream of being a music teaher come true but being a single parent wasn't easy and Roman was determined to help his adoptive father any way he could.

He really needed to pass today's test...

"How about we eat cereal, sound good pops?"

Oskar gave toothy grin "sounds great Roman"

and so father and son sat down, enjoying a meal together before their day began.

* * *

Roman quietly opened his locker, going over the various answers scattered about in his brain for the test he was about to take in the next 5 minutes.

"If I carry the x...then pi is divided by...wait...you can't divide pi...wait! Pi isn't in this problem! UUUUUUGH"

Roman knocked his head against his locker door.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Stupman"

Roman rolled his eyes in annoyance as he turned to find Lars Jr. hovering next to him.

Lars Vanderdud Jr. was the polar opposite of his father in appearance. While Lars had been massive (in all the wrong ways) Lars Jr. was lean and muscular. His nose was pointed rather than bulbous like his father's though they both shared the same lack of hair and mean spirited grin. Despite some key differences Lars Jr. acted exactly as his father did before him.

Which did not bode well for the 15 year old greaser.

"Still wearing the same leather jacket Stupman?" Lars Jr. smirked.

Roman rose an eyebrow "yeah, classics never die unlike your uninspired look of gray shirt, torn pants. Kinda outdated even when they were in style.

"Psst, says the orphan"

Lars Jr. smirked as a glint of anger flashed through Roman's gray eyes.

"Come on orphan, hit me."

Roman clutched his fist tightly, anger welling deep inside. The syrupy urge to deck the smug jerk in his face was nearly overwhelming. How he wanted to just feel Lars's cheek under his fist just once. Just one beautiful, self righteous time.

He took a deep breath and released it slowly, the anger drained though not completely gone.

Lars wanted to hit him. He wanted to drag him down to his level. To prove his point that Roman wasn't any better than anyone with their two real parents.

Roman couldn't give him the satisfaction no matter how tempting it was. He needed to prove there was nothing wrong with adoptive children, nothing wrong with Oskar's choice to raise him as his own. He couldn't make his dad look bad.

Nothing was worth that price.

"Leave him alone baldy"

Lars and Roman turned to find Missy Lynn Thomas herself standing there and throwing the deepest glare she could muster at Lars's comments.

"Ooooo need a 14 year old to fight your battles for you stupman?"

"Nah" Roman shrugged coolly "She's here to see if you're worth my time. Missy?"

"Pffft" Missy could barely hold in her laughter "not even close. Get lost Lars. Roman might be too much of a gentleman to punch you but I won't even think twice."

Lars Jr. threw an unconvincing smug smile their way "Whatever, this was getting boring anyway"

Missy and Roman didn't relax until Lars had rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

"...you okay?" Missy asked gently.

"I'm fine" Roman replied in his usual calm voice "It's just Lars."

"It does hurt you know"

"I know but I can't let him know that or it'll get worse."

"and you can't fight him" Missy added in helpfully "it'll look bad on Oskar."

"Yeah. Thanks for coming by"

Missy shrugged "I guess Nova's rubbing off on me. She's heroine after all."

Roman chuckled "True but there'd be more silence."

Missy sniffled a giggle "Well yeah"

"Maybe she'll realize I'm not that scary and that she's overthinking her crush on me"

Missy shrugged casually "One day at a time huh?"

a thick silence followed

"I'm glad they're okay" Missy spoke after a moment "I was so worried..."

"me too" Roman admitted "I feel so useless...I couldn't help them at all."

"Hey, at least you weren't used to trick them..." Missy shifted guiltily "I am so embarrassed about that."

"What? All you did was act out your genuine feelings towards him."

"Yeah" Missy's voice was full of unchecked sass "But not by my choice. I can embarrass myself on my own thanks! I don't need some dark creepy magic to flirt with Connor...well at least I hope..."

"Are you going to see them today?" Roman asked hopefully. As much as he wanted to stop by the Butterfly Diaz home, he felt nervous about doing so alone given that he didn't usually interact with Nova and he couldn't remember the last time he had ever actually been present in the household.

"I want to" Missy revealed "but my mom warned me that might not be the best idea. Everyone is on edge and security is tight. I can only imagine how many people are hovering over Nova right now."

Roman bit his lip thoughtfully "isn't that...?"

Missy nodded in agreement "That isn't the best idea. Such a large force is ideal and meant to be reassuring but I have a feeling Nova is going to take it the wrong way. Probably beat herself up about what happened..."

"Sounds right" Roman let out a tired sigh "She really shouldn't be so hard on herself"

"She really shouldn't" Missy concurred "but it's Nova. No matter how much we tell her, she needs to realize it herself and it won't help coming from me..."

"Hey" Roman carefully placed a hand on Missy's shoulder "you two are friends, you know that."

"yeah, you're right. Competitive rivals but friends still...maybe we can visit her tomorrow"

"I think that be a good idea. Let's see what we can do and you can check up on Connor."

It was amazing playful jab turned the rational, calm teen into a spurting, bright red mess

"Well yeah he's my friend and I'm worried about him and and...ugh, shut up Roman"

Roman chuckled softly, trying to hide behind his hand as Missy gently smacked his arm.

"haha I find it funny how Connor of all people is the only one that could make you lose your cool. Ever going to tell him?"

"Tell him what?" Missy rose to an uncharacteristic pitch "there's nothing to tell! Nope not at...ugh I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Just a little"

Missy let out an exasperated sigh "I don't know what comes over me every time the mere idea of telling Connor I like him. Seriously, he's a boy and I'm a girl. I like him. What's so hard about that? But just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine, butterflies in my stomach and I just...freeze. Me? FREEZE! Ugh"

"I guess you have more in common with Nova than you thought."

Missy eyed the 15 year old greaser carefully "Humans may vary but love is painfully simple huh? And how about you?" She leaned against the locker in accusing manner "What about Nova? How do you feel about the magical princess?"

Roman shrugged calmly "I would need to get to know her more. It wouldn't be a good idea to just rush something if I'm not sure how I feel. She is cute but aside from that, I don't know much about her. Maybe one day she can finally talk to me and I'll find out."

Missy scoffed jokingly "Well don't hold your breath."

The bell rang, interrupting the conversation and reminding the two that school beckons.

"Good luck" Missy waved as she took her left.

"Thanks" Roman muttered quietly in response "thanks..."

* * *

The classroom was deathly silent. You could hear the pound of the hearts, their sweaty, nervous clammy hands gripping their pencils tightly as if seeking comfort.

Roman could feel his confidence wane. Each time he tried to remember what he studied the night, the only thing that came were strange, unfamiliar equations or worse, nothing. Just a blank thought.

Roman tried to calm himself but as Miss Skullnick slid the paper and scantron onto his desk, the scraping of paper against his wooden desk impossibly loud in his ears. his despair grew and his worry intensified.

"You may begin brats"

Roman stared at the paper, trying to will his brain to function, to will the answers to appear and reassure him he was going to be fine.

They didn't.

* * *

Roman trudged towards the school entrance, his failure biting at him in the back of his mind.

He answered the quiz but he spent far too long on the first 3 or so questions and by the time he realized he was about to run out of time, he simply jolted down the following answers after hastily and recklessly attempting to solve the problem.

There was no way he passed this test.

Roman sighed. He tried so hard. He did everything he could to ensure he passed his test, even managing to suppress his concern for Nova but in the end, it wasn't enough.

It was never enough.

"Hey kiddo"

Roman glanced upwards to find his father waiting for him by the entrance, his hair a mess, his clothes wrinkled.

"hey dad."

"How did the test go?"

Roman's face was smooth, cool, calm but inside the failure still stung harshly.

"I see."

Roman hated how his father could see past his facade. he noticed the change in tone. The cold distant and controlled voice his father used. Not mad, just disappointed. Roman was always a di...

"that's okay!"

Roman blinked in surprise as Oskar gave him a fangy grin, patting his shoulder reassuringly

"You had a lot on your mind. I'm sure Skull will keep that in mind. Try as she might, she's a big softie inside."

"But dad, I'm no good at..."

"Who cares?" Oskar shrugged nonchalantly "I was way worse at school than you were. Heck, half the time I didn't even show up! Don't worry kiddo, we'll try harder next time? Especially now that we know Mr. Diaz and his kid are okay. I KNOW!"

Roman glanced up to his excited father.

Oskar leaned in a conspiratorial whisper "We'll go see a movie today. Me and you, sound fun?"

Roman's smile was slow but he couldn't help but grin back at his father.

"Yeah dad...that sounds great."

* * *

A special thanks to cartoonlover; Thanks! wait till the rest of the ride shows up :)

broken svtfoelover: oooo hi! nice to meet you!

guest sorta; I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Finn: thanks!

bomberguy79: Well it's not a house, it's a manor which are massive in scale. it also has an entire lower floor. the room itself was described to be massive and circular (Jack climbing and running at full sprint to get to kim took a few seconds) and i said dozens upon dozens of cultists which is at most 144. Also in a real fight, people tend to get back up and keep fighting a few times before finally giving up. i did want this to be like a wave in a video game but only to show off how parents handle things. and finally, who knows, maybe they were hitting thin air only thinking they were hitting people.

if i could begin to be: yeah nova is a little star struck when it comes to her mother and not matter what anyone tells her, she doesn't believe their stories about 14 year old star. Nova's theme is be who you are not who you think you should be. I'm glad you didn't go through that phrase. thanks for the review!

thundermist; haha let's be real, Janna is the most dangerous. and no worries, go crazy it lets me know how much you enjoyed the story. you are not pathetic okay? have a great day and i hate when computers do that

marionette; haha *hugs* no ending you. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, take your time with the posters okay?

JJmmmmmlol: nova's quest to be herself and accept herself as she is won't be easy but it'll be well worth it. I'm glad you liked it. sorry usually when I answer these reviews after i've finished the chapter, proofread, made changes, proofread again. haha my bad

MiraAnne: yes yes it was. since we found out the parents last names and things of the sort, i decided add a little more into each character. he doesn't know how to speak it properly. it usually comes out when he's panicking.

kittycat: don't worry, Nova will rise again. sooner or later. haha well i can't overdose you all on covy. haha yep after all these years, they still got it.

Rociera: she tries but sometimes she can't help it

Ocean Melodies: I love that idea. that is totally canon here. he just used his regular katana because there was no way to use the scissors to get into kim's manor so he didnt want to risk losing them.

edward-human16: Getting cookies for the guests.

princessxgilex: thank you for your review (hugs) glad you liked it

Mafiso malone; haha you know what, i think i did use it for a second.

sugerqueen: thank you. I kinda went crazy with this story but im glad you liked it! no worries, your english is fine


	20. Rival Concerns

Hello everyone, Mr.E here with the newest chapter. Sorry it's another month late i got busy preparing for my vacation and looking for a new job. Thank you for all the follows, favorites and review you wonderful people! seriously it makes me so happy`and really pushes me to do my very best in giving you the best story i can.

Timeline wise, it's Saturday just 2 days after Nova's kidnapping and it's time to check up on the magical princess.

Sorry if i seem like i am rushing, I need to do some last minute packing and getting stuff. I wanted to get this and another chapter of always a star out but i could only manage to get this out in time. still i hope you enjoy, head over to nova-friends at tumblr for some more seriously amazing nova content. I am really lucky and it's all thanks to you all. thank you so much from the bottom of my heart :)

have an amazing week and stay awesome!

* * *

"Missy?" Jackie called, slowly approaching her daughter's room as the morning sun began to rise over the horizon "Missy, it's 7 are you...?"

Jackie knocked once on Missy's door to announce she was there and in a moment she would be entering.

Jackie opened the door slowly and wasn't surprised that Missy wasn't half awake with strained eyes and a groggy yawn but already dressed in her summer blouse, blonde hair well combed with her red streak standing out as usual

She looked expectantly at her mother, lips pursed with impatience.

"Are we ready to leave mom?" Missy asked bluntly.

"After breakfast" Jackie answered "You know most kids like to sleep in on the weekends. I did all the time if I wasn't feeling too cooped up from being indoors."

"I'm not like other kids mom and you've always been an outdoors person."

"True" Jackie agreed thoughtfully "But still, you need to learn to take it easy on your quest to the White House. You're 14 sweetie, not 30."

"It doesn't matter" Missy brushed off Jackie's comment "Life isn't going to wait for me to be ready as I stroll the flowers and it's certainly not going to be fair. Besides I have no time to waste. I'd like to see how Nova is doing."

"I know" Jackie spoke gently "But life is meant to be lived, not lived through."

"...I..."

"It's too early in the morning for this" Jackie gave a sleepy yawn "I'm just looking out for you sweetie though you can be quite impatient"

"I know. I'm just worried..." Missy replied with a smile "thanks mom. Long night?"

Jackie gave an exasperated sigh "The worst thing about being a defense attorney isn't the courtroom but the paperwork."

"Paperwork, the bane of our existence?"

"Something like that. Come on, breakfast then off to Star's."

Missy gave a determined nod though she wasn't as reassured as she hoped would be.

Missy knew Nova was no fan of her though she was glad to see her warm up to the idea of being friends with the pale eyed rival.

Still despite their shared end goal of winning a certain inventor's heart, Missy did consider the magical princess to be a close, if competitive, friend and valued their friendship.

Missy still churned guiltily at the idea of being used to lure Connor into a false sense of security to ensure Nova was alone when it was time to take her. While no one could fault her for what happened, she still couldn't help but feel the horrid emotion bubbling uneasily in her stomach.

The worst, or best part depending on teen's current mood, was that Connor was now at least aware of the possibility that her feelings for him were genuine. Of course there was the very real chance that Connor, in all his cute density, believed it was an act performed through the mind control.

The thought made her feel comforted and conflicted.

"I'll pass that bridge when I get there" Missy told herself as she made her way to the dining room table.

* * *

Despite her mom's efforts to remain calm and collected, it turns out Jackie was no less anxious to reach Star's home as breakfast was promptly consumed within a matter of minutes and the two made their way to the Diaz-Butterfly household.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Missy asked "I mean...she was just kidnapped..."

"Don't worry, the Diaz household is one of the safest places in the world."

Missy was briefly confused by that statement as she tried to imagine the household as some sort of reinforced bunker, a towering unassailable fortress which no one could ever hope to breach...but couldn't. It remained a simple home in her mind's eye.

Missy remembered when she was little that her mother used to tell her if she was ever in trouble to find her way to Mr. Diaz's home, that she would be safest there.

As a child, those words always confused her given that she always felt safest in her nice warm bed at home but now that she was older, it was a puzzle that bit at her mind relentlessly.

Just _how_ was the Diaz-Butterfly house the safest?

Missy stared thoughtfully at the two story building that lay before her.

There were no raised outer walls, countless soldiers scrambling across the yard, waircorns trotting up and down with Mewni's fiercest warriors upon them.

Just Mr and Mrs. Diaz-Butterfly's home, sitting there peacefully in the sunlight as Jackie parked on the curve.

"Don't judge based on appearances sweetie" Jackie playfully scolded.

Missy pouted, feeling somehow she was being teased or cheated.

" _Safest place in the world?"_ She thought to herself _"I'm not seeing it."_

Missy trudged after her mother, wary for any surprises in store for her.

None came. In fact the pair managed to get to the front door unimpeded.

"Umm...mom?" Missy looked about as Jackie gently knocked on the door.

Silence.

Missy stared at Jackie who waited patiently, staring expectantly at the door.

"Umm..."

"Hi there!"

Missy jumped, an adorable voice greeting them from out of nowhere scared her more than she'd care to admit.

Missy turned to find Nova's little brother standing there, dressed in his cute pajamas, holding an unhappy raccoon who looked like she was about to hurl.

"Hello Sol" Jackie greeted calmly "is everyone awake?"

Sol scratched his chin cutely "Mommy and daddy, Aunt Katrina, Uncle Tom, Aunt Jan Jan, the Mewni guard oh! And Rocky!"

Sol lifted the raccoon higher for the pair to see. The helpless raccoon was grouchy and glared at everything and everyone.

"Cool" Jackie replied in her softest voice "Is it okay if we come in?"

Sol glanced upwards, seemingly looking for some sort of indication before his eyes snapped back to Jackie "They say it's okay!"

"They?" Missy muttered, looking upwards only to find nothing...

Wait

Missy leaned in closer. There was a subtle movement barely noticeable even in the glow of the sun but she saw them: 3 or 4 figures nearly invisible to the naked eye, crouched against the surface of the home simply watching and waiting suspended in mid-air like it was no big deal, their entire appearance translucent, hidden.

"Wow..." Missy breathed, looking back to the young prince of Mewni only find empty air "Whoa, wait where did he...?"

There were a serious of rapid scraping of metal against metal, clicks and thunks before the door swung open, Sol beaming excitedly at mother and daughter.

"how did you...?"

"Such a sweet boy" Jackie smiled, making her way into the household.

Missy stood dumbfounded in the doorway.

"Wait, how did he?"

"Not now Missy."

Missy followed her mother's footsteps and was greeted by chaotic sight: Several well armed warriors doing patrols around the normally spacious living room while Star, Marco, Janna and Tom were huddled tiredly inside the kitchen. Katrina was playing with Sol, cheerfully nodding each time the young prince eagerly showed off a new toy or artwork he created. Nova was nowhere to be seen but lumped on the couch together was the heart skipping image of a familiar person.

Oh, also Jack was there.

Jack gave a sleepy wave to Jackie and Missy, his eyes alternating from wide awake and completely closed.

Missy's favorite four eyes, however, was awake and using his slumbering friend as a wall to bounce ideas off of than an actual participant of the conversation.

"M-Missy!" Connor squeaked, straightening up upon seeing her enter the room.

"H-hey Connor" Missy shyly waved "Been here all day?"

Connor nodded "They thought it was safer if we stayed here."

"It's boooooring" Jack whined loudly, curling under the blankets "I want my book of tricks. I want to sleep on something that isn't a freaking lumpy couch."

Connor rolled his eyes as Missy rose an eyebrow "This is what you've been dealing with all day? How have you not killed him?"

"Tempting" Connor gave a dirty look to Jack "But I'll hold judgment for a while. Besides he'd just come back as a half demonic skeleton"

Missy let out a barely contained giggle, brushing her hair behind her ear instinctively but quietly scolded herself for doing so.

"Where's Nova?"

Jack and Connor shared a concerned look, one Missy did not like.

Missy felt a chill in the pit of her stomach "she hasn't left her room huh?"

"She's shut herself off from everyone..." Connor grimly whispered "...she's feeling so guilty and refuses to see anyone. Even me...even her mom."

Missy stood there dumbfounded. Nova had never denied Star anything before.

"She's overreacting" Jack waved off "Everything turned out fine. Her awesome best friend and Connor saved the day."

"Jack" Connor chimed in quickly "We got lucky."

"Psst, luck is a skill."

"Luck is a random probability"

"Ugh, you're no fun."

Connor shook his head in disbelief and while Missy felt more at ease talking with them, one question lingered on her mind.

"and the demon? The one who kidnapped her?"

The boys faces morphed into a deathly serious mask

"He's being questioned right now" Connor answered

"But" Jack took over "We don't think he was behind it."

Missy was unsure what the two were trying to imply "I'm sorry, I don't understand..."

"Don't worry about it" Jack yawned dramatically, naturally pulling all the attention onto his exaggerated gestures "What matters is good guys insert number here, bad guys a great big negative 3."

"Negative 3?" Connor quizzically asked.

Jack slipped back under the covers "Sure, why not"

"Jack? Jack! That didn't answer anything"

"I'm not here right now" Jack's muffled voice replied "Go away and don't come back."

"JACK!"

Missy tried to suppress a laugh as she watched Connor leap onto the unsuspecting Jack and tried to wrestle him out of his cozy sanctuary.

The moment of bliss passed and Missy could feel guilt slowly creeping up on her. She glanced towards the staircase.

Nova should be here right now, cheering Connor on and enjoying the boys flailing, with the gathering crowd that has noticed what was going on and began taking bets on who would come out on top, Aunt Janna screaming at the top of her lungs for Jack to rip out Connor's spine while Marco demands Connor not to get blood on the newly cleaned floor.

But she wasn't and Missy couldn't stand to be here without Nova posing some sort of declaration against her.

It didn't feel right.

So, as quietly as she could, Missy snuck up the staircase slowly, hoping the match below would distract anyone long enough for her to reach the magical princess.

Missy had never been in Nova's room before though there had been a rather cute butterfly labeled Nova that guided Missy.

She stood in front of the door, arm outstretched but she was afraid to knock. Perhaps Connor or Marco were more suited to this task. Missy and Nova were friends but not friends at the same time and while they held each other in pretty well regard, she didn't know if Nova would appreciate her of all people coming to try to break her out of her funk when her best friend/love interest and the woman she looked up to the most were denied.

Missy turned to leave when she noticed something by the foot of the door: it was an untouched plate filled with waffles, eggs and various other food bits place carefully on the floor made with love and left there.

Missy picked up the plate, ignoring how cold the food was, and gently knocked.

There was no response.

Missy pursed her lips, knocking even louder now.

"Go away" A heavily muffled voice called from the inside.

"..." Missy struggled to find the right words to say. If Connor and Star couldn't get in, how could she?

"I said go away" Nova's voice repeated "I see you standing by the door."

"...let me in Nova" Missy muttered softly "Your food is cold."

Missy could feel the stunned silence from Nova, the utter shock and surprise that she of all people was here. That her rival for the heart of the young inventor had dared come into her home at her weakest moment and...

The door swung open slowly, swaying back and forth as it revealed a darkened room.

Missy was surprised that she was allowed to come in but decided now was not the time to question it.

Nova was sitting on the bed, legs tucked under her arms with trademark devil headband and hoodie scattered across the floor, thrown there haphazardly

"Close the door" Nova murmured, her face hidden beyond the veil of darkness.

Missy did as she was told, closing the door behind her.

"Why are you here?" Nova quietly asked, not with an edge of hostility but one of confusion.

"You need to eat." Missy answered simply "Knowing you, you've been sitting in here all yesterday and haven't eaten a single thing."

Nova scoffed "You don't know me."

"Am I right?"

Nova shifted nervously in her curled form.

"You need to eat." Missy firmly repeated.

"...I..." Nova began but was quickly interrupted by the rumbling of her stomach.

Missy took a seat at the bed, offering the plate to Nova who grabbed it hurriedly

The room was silent except for Nova's muted eating.

"Even cold" Nova spoke up after shoveling the last piece of waffle into her mouth "Dad's cooking's the best"

Missy glanced over to the princess, her face silhouetted in the darkness "It'd be even better if you came downstairs and ate with everyone."

Nova retreated into her ball "It would..."

The tense silence returned. Missy tried not fidget uncomfortably no matter how awkward the situation

"Did mom send you?" Nova asked without warning "Did she tried to get you to talk to me like she did with Jack and Connor?"

"No, I wanted to come up myself" Missy admitted.

"Really?"

Missy looked at Nova once again "Don't believe me?"

Nova scoffed "I do believe you. You always do what you want. If you said you came up here of your own free will, I totally accept it. The real question is why?"

"I was concerned for you" Missy said truthfully "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Are we?" Nova cautiously shot back.

Missy's paused thoughtfully

"I'd like to think so."

"Huh, well that was a surprise."

"I know right?"

The two shared a quick chorus of chuckles before Nova's gloomy mood returned.

"So..." Nova said off handily "Where's your pep talk? Gonna force me to say what's wrong? That it wasn't a big deal. That I shouldn't be sad or mad or anything of the sort?"

"Did your parents or Connor do that?"

"...N..no..." Nova murmured guiltily "I...didn't let them in."

"Would they do that?"

"P-probably not..."

"Then no, I won't either."

"...well...this is awkward then"

"Yeah a little" Missy agreed.

"Did you even have a plan when you got in here?" Nova asked curiously

Missy shook her head "I didn't think I'd get this far."

Nova snorted despite the heavy weight she felt "Wait, miss I always have a plan didn't think ahead?"

Missy bit her lip "Honestly, I was expecting you to simply not answer."

"..."

Missy scooted closer to Nova "Why did you let me in Nova?"

Nova remained silent.

"...Nova?" Missy asked gently "Did you want to go out? I mean I know it's a bit sooner given what just..."

Nova sighed "yeah I do. I hate being cooped up and this is just making me feel worse.

Missy blinked in surprise "O-oh. O-of course"

"What?" Nova asked carefully

"Nothing. I'm just surprised at my success."

"Something we can relate on" Nova joked as she came closer to her rival.

"Nova?" Missy questioned "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Nova, in her pink shirt, black skirt and multicolored leggings simply shook her head, a lost and faraway look in her eyes.

"no...I'm not"

* * *

a special thanks to Rocierra- haha yeah even the humans with no magical background whatsoever want to help their friends out. that's true friendship right there.

If i could begin to be: haha yeah sorry for the long wait this time though. thanks, im trying to balance filler, story and breaks in the story so it feels like one natural story arc as opposed to just random time skips. it was a fun change of pace.

guest: I'm glad you liked it!

guest sorta: what's the arc indeed and I dunno, is the email involved here? :) you remind me of Morty from Rick and Morty to be honest

Marionette- aww i'm sorry but you should've read the warning labels that come with my stories. it's on all of them!

jt6742: Me too! and im glad you enjoyed the change of pace. I mean i have all these characters, why don't i use them, right? haha maybe you'll see it in the future :)

thundermist: I'm sorry to hear that. but hey at least I know it's you judging by your reaction. haha yeah a perfect ride slows down and speeds up constantly. haha well i figured now was the perfect time to give them more depth and character development. haha you don't know that.

finn: thank you!

kittycat151: Oskar is a better father than he'd thought he be. and Missy always means well. Don't worry, i wasn't either.

JJmmmmmlol: haha yay! only took a million tries! and yeah but this one didn't sorry. I really try not to forget my characters and it was the perfect chance to give them some spotlight. thank you for the review.

pillows03: I hope you had a pillow nearby to cushion your fall. ooo candy *eats candies* thanks! I always try to advance my characters in both good and bad ways cuz i want them to be as human as i can make them. hands up as we approach the next hill. thank you so much, i hope you keep enjoying my work and im glad you like the story! :) *high fives pillows*

Staryu: AWW *BIG HUGS* WE MISS YOU! i'm glad you enjoy the surprise!

guest; Sorry, guest. here you go and hopefully the next one doesn't take so long. glad you liked the chapter!

artgirllullaby: HI! *hugs* I'm really glad you enjoyed my different view point chapter! i try to make every character have a purpose in my story, obvious or not aww thanks i dunno if they're as great as the trio but if you say so, i guess it's true. I'm also a fan of different view points reflecting their character's own view point. In nova's POV, Roman was cool, calm and collected but in reality, Roman is just like everyone else: With doubts, issues and insecurities as you said . he's just better at hiding it. and I wanted to change it up where the love interest is unaware of the main character's feelings because realistically, yeah it would be obvious but he's aware she's not sure what she wants and also going out with her now will probably end horribly and he doesn't want that for either of them so wants to give her space to grow comfortable with both herself and him. haha oh lord, another reason people gonna be single? roman? who would've guessed. haha i wanted to promote a healthy rivalry as opposed to the more vicious ones usually found in cartoon shows and she thinks of them as friends. haha I'm glad you liked and who knows, maybe she will? she does miss her husband after all.

guest *chapter 1* : thanks! I'm so glad you liked it, mistakes at all. yeah proofreading gets boring sometimes but under the assumption you are leaving this review at chapter 1 *that's what ff tells me) I get better, i promise! i hope you keep enjoying the story.

fester dunmond; haha yeah i think it was time to show Oskar as a parent and Roman as a character given the break i had here. and i always love my bonding. it was that rare chance where there was a logical break in the story to promote another character that isn't the main crew so i took it and fleshed it out. I'm really glad you enjoyed my little experiment and i hope you keep enjoying the story. i think this is your first review but I'm glad you enjoy the story! THANKS! it means a lot to me :)


	21. I am as surprised as you are TBH

Hello everyone, Mr.E and I hope you all had an amazing few weeks! thank you everyone has favorited, followed and left me a review. You're the best and it means so much to me!

Here we are the next chapter of the nova vs series. sorry my life is getting more chaotic and it kept piling up BUT it's here and I hope you enjoy it.

So recap, the most unlikely of people Missy managed to get Nova out of her bedroom and her self imposed exile but she knows she has a lot of work of ahead of her as Nova refused to take Marco's hoodie or Star's headband with her, two proud symbols she loves to wear. however the surprises aren't over as Nova has a strange request, one that Missy is sure no one is going to like.

So that's it for me, i need to work on an au that won't leave me alone. have an amazing week, i'll update sooner next time and enjoy!

* * *

Missy could feel the beads of sweat run down her neck as she awaited the response of those she had gathered in the living room, her words weighing heavily on their minds.

When she set out to visit the Butterfly-Diaz household that morning, she never thought she would not only be able to get the downtrodden princess out of her room but also out of the house though under a rather... _strange_ condition.

It was fascinating to see how each adult's personality could be clearly defined simply by body language and facial movements.

Marco was the most conflicted, his face a mixture of understanding and worry. He knew it was alright, he knew it was best for his daughter to leave the house and normalize herself back into everyday situations. He knew this was the right thing to do. He also, obviously, wanted to hold Nova in a death grip and hiss at anyone that tried to pry his little girl away from him.

Star was content with the idea, a reassuring smile on her lips, Mr. Spatula in her hands, her body language at ease and laid back.

Aunt Janna seemed pretty indifferent, too busy focusing on charming the fruits that were left on the dining table into some sort of gladiatorial death match. Missy had never seen an apple crack a watermelon so cleanly in half before but she made a mental note not to ever anger one under any circumstances.

Uncle Tom was sitting next to his wife, his hand holding gently onto hers. It was a temporary truce. She was still furious at him and his choices but in light of recent events, she was willing to wave her fury for a while and enjoyed her husband's embrace.

Jackie seemed nervous about Missy going off with Nova. She knew the two girls didn't have the best history and while she trusted both of them, Jackie was nervous that something could happen to them. Nova would no doubt handle anything that came their way but Missy was more or less a liability. Still her mother made no motions to stop her when she announced that she and Nova were going out.

Alone.

It had been Nova's idea that the two go on a girls day out and while Missy was confused why, she understand the importance of agreeing to the request. Nova needed to face her fears about being taken and live a normal life again.

Jack didn't seem to care. His gaze bounced back and forth between the girls before he gave a causal shrug, commenting he was "glad to be off duty"

Connor seemed the most unsure probably given how much he and Nova spent time together. It was clear he wanted to argue that he should come with, that it was best if they were a bigger group and he could watch out for them. But he also knew that he needed to respect Nova's wishes and if she wanted to go out with just Missy, it wasn't his call to make.

"I don't know about this..." Marco murmured softly

"She'll be fine Marco!" Star chimed happily, pinching her husband's cheeks lovingly "She's got the wand and she's got Missy!"

Marco remained unconvinced "I..."

"Marco" Jackie spoke softly "this is probably for the best. You girls don't go too far okay? And call us the moment you don't feel safe or want to come back. We'll come get you"

Nova gave a silent nod, ignoring the concerned looks on everyone's face as they took in the sight of her without her father's hoodie or her mother's headband. It was unusual and disheartening to see but it also strengthened Missy's resolve to help her maybe kinda friend through whatever was bothering her.

"We will mom" Missy answered, giving her mother a tight hug.

Marco and Star held Nova closely, giving her a firm squeeze before Star cupped her cheek lovingly.

"We're here if you need us, okay posa?" Star whispered

Nova's eyes teared up a bit as she nodded in agreement.

Nova broke free of her parents embrace only to be caught up in another.

Nova awkwardly did her best to wrap her arms around her best friend but his bear-like grip was far harder to escape than she initially expected

Nova gave a clumsy pat onto her Connor's back before he released his hold on her and turned to Missy

Missy could feel her cheeks burn as his forest green eyes locked onto her pale blue ones

"If you two need anything, even some company, call okay?"

Missy gave a short nod, fidgeting slightly when she felt Nova's arm slip under hers and began dragging her out the door.

Missy waved goodbye to everyone before letting out a tense sigh she hadn't realized she held in

For the first time in their entire history, Missy and Nova were going to spend the day alone together

And Missy had no idea what she was going to do.

* * *

The door closed with a quiet thud and Star's carefree facade broke at once

"MY BABY GIRL IS GOING OUT WITHOUT MY HEADBAND!" She cried, flinging herself into her husband's waiting arms with Jackie and Janna gently rubbing her back in reassurance.

"I know sweetie" Marco muttered, stroking Star's hair while she bawled her eyes out.

"MY LITTLE GIRL!" Star tried to break free of Marco's grasp "I NEED TO GO WITH MY LITTLE GIRL! SHE'S SO SAD! WHY IS SHE SAD?! WHYYYYYY"

"There, there" Marco kissed her cheek "Don't worry, they'll watch over them for us."

"I KNOOOW BUT I STILL WANT TO BE WITH MY LITTLE BABY! Can I kill Kim?"

"No Star. We need to make sure if what the boys said is true."

"Not even a little?"

"No my queen."

"That's not fair!"

"Neither is blasting a possibly innocent demon."

"...I want nachos"

"Coming up sweetie, anyone else?"

The entire room rose their hands.

* * *

The two girls began walking without any purpose, simply heading in one direction and letting their feet carry them to wherever the road led.

The air was awkward and while the two teens walked side by side, neither really knew what to say. The two couldn't even remember a time where they talked to each other longer than a few minutes let alone actually hang out.

"So..." Missy finally spoke up after several painful minutes of silence "Where do you want to go?"

Nova pursed her lips, rubbing at her arm anxiously "I...I don't know...the park maybe? That's close by."

"That's true" Missy agreed "You know now that I stop and think about it, I've never been to the park before"

"Really?" Nova stared quizzically "We literally live within walking distance of it. How could you have never been?"

Missy gave a shrug "I dunno. I don't like going out without a reason."

"Huh, that sounds like you. Straight forward and practically efficient. Too much so."

"Too much efficiency?" Missy couldn't keep out the disbelief "I can't tell if you're making fun of me or complimenting me"

"Both" Nova answered matter of fact "It's both. It's kinda my thing. Ask your crush if you don't believe me."

Missy gave a shy cough "I..well..."

"Seriously, four eyes makes you nervous?"

"Don't act like you're any better than me with that problem" Missy shot back

"I will. I like acting."

"Do you?"

"as far as anyone needs to know, yes."

Missy sighed dramatically "At least you seem to be better."

Nova gave a short nod "Yeah. I guess fresh air and actually doing something really helps."

Missy agreed "Yeah, being cooped up in your room and not having positive social interaction really doesn't help."

"...sigh, I know...I...I just feel like...never mind."

Missy bit her lip: She wanted to push the subject but pushing Nova too far would only cause her to withdraw back into her shell. As much as she wanted to pursue the subject, Missy figured it was better to drop it for now. She had god knows how much time with the magical princess and there would be plenty chances later.

"Anyway" Nova went on quietly "how's your quest for becoming president going?"

"Pretty good" Missy told Nova "Perfect grades and I'm already looking at several colleges to get into. Once I get valedictorian..."

"If you mean" Nova corrected "Gotta compete with your bf if you want that position."

"Well..." Missy flushed "maybe we could share it. Co-valedictorians?"

"Is that even a thing?"

"I doubt it" Missy admitted "but I wouldn't put it past Connor to try."

"mhm...sounds like something he'd do. Though he's not big into competing, might take a dive and fake losing."

"Psst" Missy scoffed "If I'm going to be valedictorian and I can't share, I want to pry it from him. I don't want him to just hand it over."

"Crushing on a boy but won't let him give you the win"

"It wouldn't mean the same. Though if he's willing to give it up of his own freewill, I guess I'd honor his choice."

"That is pretty surprising of you."

"Who am I to deny a gentleman?"

Nova snorted loudly "I guess I can't fault you."

A thick silence fell over the girls as Missy realized something about Nova.

"Nova" she turned to the brown haired teen "are you okay?"

"I think we're out here because it's obvious I'm not..."

"Well yeah" Missy agreed "but...you just talked about my crush on Connor and even joked about it...without wanting to kill me."

Nova remained silent.

"I mean" Missy went on "I'm grateful for the attempt but you don't have to do any forced banter with me. I know you don't approve of..."

"I'm trying to get used to it."

Missy blinked in surprise as Nova stared off into the distance.

"...I..." Nova spoke softly "I know...I can't keep him from...umm...yeah...and I know you like him a lot...and...I...him...umm...anyway. I'm trying not to be selfish. One day he's going to fall for some fantastic girl and just...yeah..."

"Nova" Missy started "I..."

"Look. I'm not going to pretend right now. We both know how we both feel for him...but I can't just...but you...and...ugh. This is too hard, change subject?"

Missy nodded gently

"Sure, we can change the subject. How about we get your grades up?"

"Oh don't you start too!"

* * *

Missy took a long, tired sigh as the sun began to dip past the horizon, the day having come and went.

Missy couldn't believe how long the two must've been out here, just mindlessly talking back and forth while throwing the odd jab at the other though there was no malice in their words.

Missy felt like they were trying to get a feel for the other, some sort of common ground or understanding about what made the other one tick and despite the reason the two were out here today, she felt like her and Nova had taken the first real steps in becoming friends.

Maybe even one day best friends.

Nova let out a weary sigh "I'm not going to lie, when I let you take me out here, I didn't expect to talk to you. Like at all. Let alone open up so much...or realize how much fun it is talking to you. I suppose I can't go back to the rival only aspect of our friendship, can I?"

"If it makes you feel better" Missy chimed in "We're still rivals but better friends"

"I'm not sure how to feel about that" Nova replied jokingly.

"Don't worry, if I don't win you over, you can go back to hating me"

"Promise?" Nova asked curiously

"Sure" Missy gave a smug smile "Besides, when we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change"

Nova looked at Missy "did you just quote a 20 something year old cartoon?"

Missy gazed back "Can you prove it?"

"Not worth the effort."

Silence filled the air though it was no longer awkward. There was a strong tranquility to it, a calm that Missy hadn't noticed before. It was nice.

Missy took a long, deep breath as the sun sank away from the city's view, the sky turning a twilight purple while the stars started to blink into existence.

"Nova..." She spoke slowly "What's wrong?"

Nova's face was frozen, a far off gaze in her electric blue eyes.

"...is it because of your mom?" Missy asked cautiously "Feeling like you couldn't measure up after being kidnapped?"

Nova shook her head dejectedly, her voice dropping to a whisper "My mom took on an entire castle to save my father, she gave up her wand, a direction connection to the source of all magic and the eternal duty of the Butterfly family to keep him with her despite the fact she knew how important it was..."

Nova shot to her feet, her boots scraping across the pavement loudly as she twirled and faced her rival/friend.

"She took on not one" Nova went on, tears forming in her eyes "but two of the greatest threats in the entirety of every dimension ever and won. And she was hardly older than me...I...will never compare to my mother. I will never be a true Butterfly..."

"Nova" Missy stood up quickly "Nova, I..."

"But that's old news...that's not what's bothering me..."

Missy pursed her lips, unsure how to respond to such a claim. How could that not be bothering her when it so obviously was "I don't..."

Nova ran her hand through hair shakily "That's not way I hid..."

"I-is it because you were kidnapped?" Missy threw out "It is a very traumatic experience and it's perfectly understandable if you feel..."

Nova scoffed "No, that's nothing. I'm a member of a royal family. My parents told me what might happen when i was young. I've come to terms with that a long time ago."

"I am so confused right." Missy openly admitted "Then what is it? Why are you so afraid?"

Nova rubbed her arm anxiously "You're the smart one. If anyone can figure it out, it's you."

Missy sighed thoughtfully, scratching her chin in concentration.

What could be bothering the magical princess so much? She clearly had some sort inferiority complex issue but Missy had known that for as long as she knew Nova and there was no way that was going to be fixed in one evening.

No, something else was bothering Nova, something she feared more than her own safety. The kidnapping didn't mean anything to her and if her parents had prepared her for such a thing, there would be little to no actual fear response. And given how quickly her parents responded, Nova must've known she'd be perfectly fine.

The brainwashing? Hardly a threat, Nova broke out of it rather easily and Missy would hazard while it would've taken longer, at some point it would've worn off no matter how powerful it had been.

Missy narrowed her eyes: the answer was here but it wasn't something involving Nova at all. Nova did not fear for herself. But what else could make her scared? Make her pull away from reality and hide away in the shadows and comfort of her room?

What did Nova Butterfly fear most?

Missy thought back to their talks, their conversations. Nova confessed she hadn't expected for her to speak to Missy, to open up as easily as she did. Missy theorized it was entirely plausible Nova might've accidentally clued her in to what was bothering, the true source of her fear.

But what? What in their entire day out here could be the missing piece to this puzzle?

" _Look. I'm not going to pretend right now."_

Missy's pale eyes widened as the pieces fell into place.

" _We both know how we both feel for him...but I can't just..."_

She wouldn't see Connor. She refused to let him come into her room despite the fact he had stayed over two days. She did not want him to come with them. She couldn't even look him in the eye...

" _This is too hard, change subject?"_

"Connor" Missy muttered "It's about Connor..."

Nova sniffled as the tears overflowed and ran down her heart covered cheeks, an uncontrollable sob escaping out of her chest.

"That...that idiot" she cried "He doesn't get it. He told me he was fine and it was okay! He told me everyone was safe and sound and HE DOESN'T GET IT! He doesn't get it... he..."

"You were afraid he was going to die..." Missy finished "you were afraid he was going to die trying to save you...You thought you would've been the reason he..."

Nova wiped the tears from her eyes though they continued pouring down her face "I attacked _him_ Missy! I attacked my best friends. I tried to kill him...I tried to kill Jack and the idiots...they act like it was nothing, they act like they knew everything was going to be fine! I remember Missy...I remember the fear on their faces, I remember their bruises, their bodies heaving, struggling to catch their breaths...I...they would've died...they would've died and it would've been all my fault...I...and he doesn't get it...he doesn't get it..."

Nova sunk to her knees, hands covering her face

"he doesn't get it..."

Missy ran over, holding Nova tightly in a hug.

"What kind of best friend am I?" Nova murmured weakly "how could I let this happen?"

"Well...Have you met Connor? For someone so passive, he's so stubborn."

"He's the worst" Nova added "okay maybe not the worst but still...he..."

"of course he gets it" Missy interrupted "He knew what he was risking Nova."

"He's so stupid! How could he just throw his life away like that? For nothing?"

"You're not nothing" Missy patted her back "You're his best friend. You mean as much to him as he does to you."

"That doesn't stop him from being an idiot."

"Well" Missy said matter of fact "You're an idiot too so I guess that explains everything."

"I take back what I said, I hate you."

Missy shook her head "Fine but that doesn't change anything. Connor wanted to make sure you were safe and he took a chance to save you."

"No" Nova pouted "only I get to do stupid things."

"You can't double standard him"

"of course I can! That's how it works."

Missy chuckled quietly and was relived when Nova joined in.

Nova sighed "...I don't want him to get hurt..."

"Neither do I" Missy agreed "But he wouldn't be Connor if he didn't stubbornly try to help us."

"Normally it be endearing. Right now it's just annoying."

Missy helped Nova to her feet

Nova shot her the deadliest glare she could must. She was still shaky but the princess looked like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Bottling that in must've really been horrible, allowing all that anxiety and fear to fester inside, growing worse and worse.

Nova looked unsure but she was visibly more relaxed. Maybe talking about it would make it easier on her.

"You are not allowed to tell four eyes this" Nova threatened "He'd just get unnecessarily worried about nothing."

Missy rose an eyebrow "He's already worried and this isn't nothing."

"I'll be fine sooner or later" Nova told her "It just hit close to home, you know? I never thought...and then without warning..."

"I know" Missy patted her shoulder "But hey, at least you got me?"

"The worst" Nova replied with a small grin.

"Sigh, we better go home, it's late."

Nova waved her off before searching into the bushes that littered the park "No need, our security detail probably dimensional scissors."

"Security? Wait, we were followed?"

Nova gave a quick nod, taking in a silent satisfaction at the utter surprise that etched itself on Missy's face "Of course, my dad would never let me out the house after a kidnapping without someone watching me. It's probably big sis Katrina."

"Nope!" A cheerful little voice called out as Sol ran out of the nearby bushes.

"Sol?! Dad sent you?"

"Of course not" the familiar voice answered, Katrina rose through the foliage effortlessly "But he insisted he come. He is rather tricky to stop after all."

"Yeah, can we go home now Katrina? it's been a long day" Nova asked tiredly

"Of course princess, Sol."

Missy and Nova shared a confused stare with one another

"Sol?"

Sol waddled closer to the royal bodyguard, making snipping motions with his fingers.

"Sol?" Nova took a step forward "What are you...?" but the words died in her throat as Sol closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he cut upwards, a swirling blue tear in reality where his hand passed, slowly growing until a fully formed dimensional portal appeared before them, the Diaz-Butterfly household beckoning to them sweetly on the other side.

"Let's go home!" Sol cheered, beaming brightly at the two shocked girls.

"Sol..." Nova said slowly "SOL, WHAT THE F..."

* * *

a special thanks to guest sorta; it's a great show but also very weird crazy and adult so you've been warned. because it's fun :)

thundermist: I know right? who thought such a little thing could be so devastating? yay for missy! thank you so much it means a lot to me you think highly of me and im really glad you enjoyed all these twist and turns i add in here especially who the star of the next chapter is. those sounds like epic awesome gifts! congrats and happy birthday to you again!

SVTFOEkitten: haha no but luckily covy and starco insurance covers death. haha curious but as you wish. im just glad you liked it

Finn: yeah. Nova is very proud to be the child of starco and her father's hoodie and mother's headband are basically priceless treasures to her. the fact she wouldn't put them on is a really bad sign. its a little trick i use since my form of media isn't as clear as tv or movies so changing character appearances my way to show some sort of change in them.

fereality: thank you so much! and thank you for your review! I think it's because you know your friendly rival wouldn't try to sugarcoat anything. they'd tell you straight out. haha i know right? whew. thanks i did and good luck on writing as well!

kittycat151: YAY! No more sulking nova! for now bwahah yeah I always planned for them to get along in some way or form. thank you so much, thanks for the review and stay awesome too!

pillows03: haha im glad. after so much drama, it was nice to keep things nice and heartwarming and they're slowly being friends whether they want to be or not haha. I got to be in the room where it happens! click boom. great song. thank you for your kind words and your review, they mean the world to me and i hope you have a good one! *Devours sweets*

Artgirllullaby: umm that's not easy at all. the sun is really far away and holding your heart there would be very complex and too much work. Yeah, it was the perfect time for other characters to get development and to show an inner working of how they think and feel. Missy is so caught up in the future, she forgets about living in the here and now and that she is really just a teen. she has her whole life ahead of her. maybe it is the maids maybe its not :) haha Janna could always use zombie servants and marco hates cleaning up blood. its the worst. haha yay show! they are both aware they haven't exactly been on the best of terms but also they don't really know how to really become friends though they want to give it a shot. ooo yay a star! and *hides* sorry but it had to be done. besides. i'm not even close to passing the line yet BWAHAHAAHA :D

jjmmmmmlol haha yes yes we are :) hahah sorry about that. Mercy? is that french? i don't know that word.

fester drummond: yeah, even a magical princess has a limit and she's hoping missy gives her some advice. yeah i really wanted to different perceptive on that rivals in love cliche. nothing wrong with a friendly rival.

guest; here it is MOOOOORE! *throws chapters into the air

thedorkmagnet: aww thank you! Im glad you liked it! Yeah everyone is pretty surprised Missy of all people got her out and you know Marco totally tried the nachos. yeah they are aware they needed to focus on where they stand, fighting for Connor's kiss comes later haha.


	22. This is happening, isn't it Jack?

Hello everyone! Mr.E here not realizing it's been a month. seriously time just flew. I just can't believe it. Thank you for every single follow, favorite and review. they make all the work i put into this worth it and it means the world to me.

so it's a little late here so we will jump right in. This is still Saturday, directly after the last chapter. Nova and the gang are home but not quite content. I want to give a special thanks my good friend axis26 whose is an amazing writer whose work I highly recommend you go check out. He was kind enough to let me borrow his ocs who are featured here.

That's it for me, thank you so much for everything. all the support and love you give my little story. I hope you enjoy and have an amazing week!

* * *

Nova shifted guiltily under her father's stern gaze as she slipped a dollar into the swear jar he was holding out.

"Sorry dad..."

Marco let out a tired sigh "I know you had a rough few days sweetie but rules are rules."

Nova gave a muted nod, still shell shocked at what she just witnessed

Her little bother was able to create a dimensional portal at will. No magical artifact, no need to dip down deep within himself to connect with the fabric of reality and the magical energies that surrounded everything. Just make a little motion with his hand and viola they were home not a moment later.

This bothered Nova greatly. Sol already seemed more attuned to his magical nature than she was and evidently he had been able to use this power for some time now to gain such a mastery over it. The little strange little mysteries were solved in that moment: How he could disappear between rooms so quickly, how hard it was to keep track of where he was at all times.

All of it made sense.

She felt hollow: Her family had kept this from her. She was completely in the dark about Sol's true nature and it upset her greatly.

"So" Marco spoke up while making eye contact with Katrina "Was everything okay?"

Katrina's stance was rigid as she fell into a salute "Of course your majesty! Nova and Missy spent most of the day at the park. No one stopped by to bother them."

Marco gave unconvinced nod, wondering if Katrina was the reason why no one came by the park today "And Sol? Did he behave?"

"He tried to chase after a rouge butterfly or two but it was all acceptable behavior."

Marco looked visibly relived "Thanks, I know how much of a handful he could be."

"It was no problem my liege."

Marco shook his head "Alright, alright you're off duty. Enough with the knight speech."

"Umm" Katrina blinked in surprised "I..do not..."

Marco gave her a deadpanned gaze.

"Right" Katrina coughed timidly "Sorry. It's habit you know."

"I know" Marco beamed "But seriously Katrina you need to relax some more. You're family."

"I'm the Queen's Bodyguard" Katrina answered bluntly

Marco sighed dramatically "Alright. Well I'm glad everyone's safe and sound. Sorry for making you spend all day secretly tailing Nova."

"Haha it's okay" Katrina laughed, sucking all the tension out of the room

Nova could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment as Katrina wrapped her in a vice-like headlock and playfully ruffled her hair

"She's my little sister, of course I'd look out for her"

Nova pulled away, giving a mock frown towards the chuckling monster "It's not secretly following me if I know you're there. Just saying."

Marco let out a small laugh "So did Star let you borrow her scissors? I didn't see her hand you them. I half expected I had to go pick you five up."

Nova frowned "Actually, Sol..."

"Actually" Katrina interrupted "She handed them to me before I left. Said to take extra care of them."

"Oh" Marco seemed unsure of himself for a moment but quickly paid the thought no mind "They are her favorite pair. It was a wedding gift from Heckapoo after all!"

Missy and Nova shared a concerned look with one another. There had been something off about Katrina's carefully chosen sentence but before either of them could question it, their mothers entered the room.

"Novy!" Star cried, locking her daughter in a tight embrace.

"Mom" Nova whined softly but wrapped her arms around her mother all the same.

"Had fun you two?" Jackie asked curiously, noticing how much more calmer and friendlier the two girls were around each other. It was subtle but it was obvious through their body language that the two of them had a much clearer understanding of one another.

"Yep" Nova answered "It was nice to go outside and not lie in a pool self pity all day."

Missy nodded in agreement "Yeah though maybe we should pack snacks next time."

"Sure" Nova shrugged indifferently "But you're bringing them."

"Fine Nova"

Jackie smiled softly. The girl's once barbed banter was more friendly, more relaxed.

"Okay we need to be going now" Jackie spoke up after a moment "See ya Nova"

"Bye Miss Lynn Thomas" Nova replied politely, giving the older woman a hug.

She turned to Missy who seemed unsure about what she was supposed to do next.

Nova offered her a hand "See you later Missy."

Missy grinned back, firmly grasping Nova's hand and giving it a friendly shake "See you later princess."

Jackie laughed gently "Bye Marco."

Marco gave her a quick nod "Bye Jackie."

"BYYYYYE JACKIE!" Star shouted as she practically leapt into her arms.

"haha okay okay. bye guys!"

"Bye!" The Diaz-Butterfly family waved farewell as the door closed behind the two Lynn Thomas's

"So" Nova spoke slowly, her head twisted this way and that as if searching for somebody

"Connor" Marco began, smirking lightly at how quickly Nova jumped at the sound of her best friend's name "and Jack went home. Connor's been bunked on our couch long enough and Jack has his magic competition tomorrow."

"Oh right" Nova muttered blankly "I forgot about that...Ugh, probably gonna drag me to it. "

"I think you should go, it has been a long week."

"Yeah" Nova agreed quietly.

"You should sleep sweetie." Marco offered.

"You're right...but I need to talk to someone first..."

* * *

Nova dropped the magical spellbook onto her bed.

There was a sleepy yawn as the magical tome turned on its side, opening quickly in a flurry of ancient and well worn pages until Glossaryck lay there, dressed in his pajamas with an avocado mask on his face and cucumber peels over his eyes.

"As much as I enjoy helping my magical students" Glossaryck said with an irritated tone as the peels popped away from his sockets with a comical sound "And basically live here rent free, I do enjoy sleep. So unless this is important..."

"Sol can create magical portals" Nova stated bluntly.

There was a momentary air of awkwardness as Glossaryck blinked once, twice, a third time, soaking in what Nova had just said.

"...oooooookay?" an eyebrow raised was his response.

"Seriously? Okay? That's it?! My little brother can cut through the fabric of reality and travel to any dimension at will and all you can say is okay?!"

Glossaryck pursed his lips "I could also say huh?" The magical being glanced up at the princess "Would that help?"

"No!" Nova snarled "He can change his hair **at will.** He can open portals **at will**. Why?!"

Glossaryck scratched his chin thoughtfully "That is a very good question and one I wish I had the answer to."

Nova covered her mouth before letting out the most strangled yelp she could muster.

"I'm sorry princess" Glossaryck spoke plainly "I don't know what you expect from me. I'm here to train you, not your brother. Whatever he has going on with him is a Sol problem, not mine."

Nova stared silently at her tutor, thoughts and ideas churning in her head but she voiced none of them.

Nova took a calming breath, allowing the rage and frustration to drip out of her.

"Glossaryck" she started slowly "Teach me how to dip down."

"No"

"No?" Nova repeated "No?! Why not! You taught my mom when she was my age."

"Exactly" Glossaryck nodded in agreement "I taught _her_ when she was ready and I taught your grandmother when _she_ was ready. I've taught _every_ Butterfly when _they_ were ready. You are _not_."

Nova angrily placed her hands on her hips "Am I not ready? I'm Nova Analise Butterfly and I am ready to learn how to dip down!"

Glossaryck's pink eyes searched her face for a moment.

"No, you're not."

Nova clenched her fist furiously

"You are not Nova Butterfly."

That shook Nova out of her rage.

"What?" She questioned softly.

Glossaryck snapped his finger and just like that, a pudding treat formed into existence.

"You" He emphasized as he pulled the covering from the cup "Are not Nova Butterfly."

"I..." Nova began but the magical tutor went on

"You" he gestured with his spoon before dipping it into the soft dessert "sound like her. You look like her. You dress like her. You even act like her but you are _not_ Nova Analise Butterfly. You are a near perfect copy of the princess of Mewni but you are not quite her."

"I'm not?" Nova was utterly lost by what Glossaryck was trying to say.

"No" he chewed eagerly on his snack "You are not."

"Then who am I?" Nova asked, slumping to her knees

Glossaryck's diamond pupils fixed themselves onto hers "That is what you need to concern yourself with. Who are _you?_ "

Nova let out a frustrated yell, slamming Glossaryck's book shut before flinching apologetically

"Sorry" She murmured before gently placing the book on the drawer next to her.

"That's alright!" Glossaryck's muffled voice called back "The pudding is safe!"

She laid on her bed, staring at the ceiling blankly as Glossaryck's question and snores danced in her mind.

If she wasn't Nova Butterfly, who was she trying to be?

Nova sighed, the thoughts twisting and turning in her head for countless moments before sleep came and claimed the princess.

* * *

"Bags under her eyes" a voice spoke softly near Nova.

Nova groaned, instinctively clutching her hand against her eyes tried to block out the gentle rays of the sun.

She felt a smaller hand grip hers for a moment before giving a pinch and a pull on the back.

"Hey!" Nova shouted, pulling her hand away and rubbing the pulled skin.

"She's not dehydrated" the little voice went on "but she seems a little pale. Probably didn't eat much over the last few days."

Nova groggily wiped at her sleepy eyes as the sounds of light scribbling filled the room

"Dignosis" The voice muttered with a hint of confidence "minor sadness. Solution, sun!"

Nova hissed in reflex as the curtains were pulled back and a flood of the sun's bright rays basked over her entire being.

"Ah! What the?!" Nova shirked, wildly flailing at the air before finally noticing the person in the room with her.

The person was wearing a pink hoodie and baggy pants with adorable matching sneakers . Her brown shoulder length hair looked as it always did (which was exactly like her mother's.) as her blue and green iris beamed in a mixture of joy and timidness.

"Hope?" Nova tiredly murmured before her brain kicked into full gear "Hope!"

"Novy!" The younger 7 year old cheered quietly as Nova leapt out of bed and plucked her from the ground, hugging her tightly "Novy stop, I'm up from the ground!"

"Haha don't worry" Nova smiled "I got a good hold on you"

Nova couldn't stop the laughter from escaping her lungs while she gently placed Hope back to the floor.

"It's so great to see you Hope!" Nova couched low to get a better look at the little girl "I've missed you."

Hope gave a small smile in response "I missed you too Novy."

"Are your parents downstairs?"

Hope gave shy nod "Yep! We came to visit, Dad's got some business in town."

"Awesome, let's go say hi"

Hope held onto Nova's hand as the magical princess led them downstairs.

"So how long have you been here Hope?" Nova asked the young girl.

Hope's face squinted in an adorable pose as she thought long and hard "10 minutes or so?"

"Wow and it took you this long to wake me up?"

"Well..." Hope began nervously "I'm practicing to be a doctor. I noticed some bags under your eyes and I couldn't help it..."

"Oh? And what did you discover Doctor Hope?"

Nova was caught off guard how serious the younger girl's face became "You were sad. For a few days at least. Recently I'd guess. I could tell by the lack of food you've been eating and the bags under your eyes."

Nova's face softened "You're right Hope, I was sad."

Hope's fell at once as she anxiously fidgeted

"But I'm much better now."

"Really?" Hope's eyes widened "I'm happy to hear that."

"me too" Nova repeated with a grin "Me too."

Nova and Hope made it downstairs in time to hear Star snort loudly as Marco tried to hold in his chuckle.

"Marcus!" Marco playfully scolded "Seriously?"

"What?" Hopes father shrugged in response "it's not my fault"

Marcus was the same age as Marco with messy barely combed medium length brown hair and green eyes. He wore a simple black long sleeved shirt with white stripes tilting diagonally across to one side and dark denim jeans with his favorite brand of sneakers.

"and I said" Marcus came to a complete stop "Honey."

His wife shifted nervously under his gaze as she replied "yes sweetie?"

Faith was the same age age as Star though though you could see Hope's resemblance to her very clearly: Shoulder length blonde hair instead of her daughter's brown, matching right blue iris and left green pupil. She wore a simple red blouse and black jeans for the trip with comfortable walking shoes to add to the look.

"You know better than to wash dishes" Marcus lightly scolded, rising to his feet and making his way across to his wife "Let me handle them."

"no no no!" Star butted in, lifting herself out of her chair and pulling Marco alongside her "It's our house, you are our guests. Marco will wash them."

"Oh really" Faith held fast to dish in her hand "It seems such a bother."

"Honey" Marcus whispered but Marco cut in "It's fine Faith, you can tell me more of the methods you've been using on your students. Sometimes the 6th period class is too rowdy waiting for the bell."

"Well" Faith shifted guiltily but Marco had easily pried the dish from her weak grasp "Alright."

Star shook her head before noticing who had entered the room in their distracted state "Look who's up!"

Marcus and Faith turned around with wide smiles on their faces "Nova!"

"Hi" she gave a cheerful wave

Marcus and Faith Dixon were old family friends though when or how exactly they met her parents was always a bit of a mystery. They went way back and while Faith couldn't do much adventuring and Marcus wasn't the biggest fan of adventure, Nova couldn't help but imagine them in their younger days. Especially Marcus. Using fireworks. Butting heads with some girl that used to room with her father named Stella. Fending off spiders and obsessive demons. Feeling uncomfortable about keeping a secret for Star and away from Marco.

Oddly specific but Nova always had a crazy imagination.

"How are you?" Faith asked softly, slowly making her way over to the magical princess.

"I'm okay" Nova partially admitted "It's been a chaotic week to say the least."

"I bet" Marcus agreed "Did Hope play doctor again?"

Hope pouted but Nova playfully ruffled her hair

"Play? I think she's going to be a great one when she grows up."

Faith beamed with a quiet pride at her daughter "I bet she will be"

Hope gave a toothy grin as another figure made their way into the room.

"Morning everyone!" Sol gave a cheery greeting before narrowing his eyes at Hope "Morning Hope..."

"Morning Solius" Hope answered quietly.

"It's Sol..." Sol murmured under his breath while he took a seat at the table.

Nova couldn't help but wonder about her little brother: How did he gain such a power? Did her parents know? Did Heckapoo? The magical council member in charge of dimensional scissors wasn't fond of anything that could bypass her permission and ability to regulate dimensional travel especially now that the airports now offered interdimensional travel between Mewni and Earth...

Before Nova could go on with her thoughts, the front door slammed open with a mighty kick.

Marco and Star fell into a fighting stance, reaching for the closet object they could find.

"Who's there?" Marco called out, butter knife held tightly in his hand.

"We're armed!" Star warned, holding Mr. Spatula high "Dangerously armed."

"Relax!" Jack's voice called out though it was laced with strain "I'm just here to grab Nova and head over to the magic show."

Everyone shared a look as Jack made his way into the dining room, sweat dripping down his brow as he dragged half-groggy Connor by the collar.

Jack was dressed to impress which wasn't too surprising given he was set to compete today: His hair was slicked back with only his demon gangs remaining free of whatever gel he used, he wore a brightly colored and well kept midnight purple bowtie and collared shirt he claimed he kept cryogenically frozen for only the most important occasions, his trademark vest had been been replaced with a dark blue variation that shimmered brightly with dozens upon dozens of sequins giving the illusion they were twinkling stars with a rose tucked neatly in the pocket. His pants were black and his loafers were shined to an impossible luster.

Connor, the poor inventor, did not look as well prepared. In fact he looked like Jack just dragged him out of bed: He was wearing black faded t-shirt that had seen better day and plaid sweats, his glasses hung off his left ear and he generally seemed utterly confused what was going on at the moment.

"Wha?" Connor mumbled tiredly "Whazzgoinon?"

"Ugh!" Jack gave a dramatic groan "Come on buddy, you got to look presentable."

"Jack" Connor murmured "You literally broke into my house and dragged me to..." Connor groped for his glasses "Is this Nova's?"

"Hi Connor" The room greeted.

Connor gave a sleepy wave in return.

"Yes!" Jack said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world "I can't take you like this four eyes."

"Whose fault is...?" Connor began only for Jack to drape a large, elegant red cape over him "Whazzthis?"

"Just hold still" Jack scolded as he gave the fabric a mighty tug.

Connor stood there shell shocked as he carefully glanced over his new outfit: A dark red collared shirt, beige khakis over his trademark sneakers, his glasses realigned perfectly with his eyes.

"...did you just...?" Connor slowly turned to Jack who waved him off.

"Yes, now eat something and let's go!"

"...were you carrying those clothes this whole time?" Connor questioned as he took a seat.

"Like I'm going to tell you."

Nova shook her head "I know it's your big day but dragging us to your show isn't very gentlemanly of you."

"Nonsense" Jack gave a flourish with his hand "You two agreed to it."

Nova rose an eyebrow "When?"

"Weeks ago."

"I don't remember this ever coming up" Connor chimed in.

Jack scoffed "Of course it did, read back. I mentioned it."

Nova and Connor both reached for their cells to check their previous messages only for Jack to snatch them out of their hands and with a flick of his wrist, sent them vanishing into thin air.

"Hey!"

"Not again" Connor muttered in defeat.

"You'll get them at the show" Jack said with a finality to his voice "Now get ready!"

"Magic?" Hope's voice piped up out of nowhere "I love magic."

"Sweetie" Marcus began, the worry evident in his face "We came all this way to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, I don't know if..."

"Please dad" Hope pleaded

Marcus seemed torn when Faith gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"She would have fun" Faith explained "And she wouldn't be bored listening to us adults talk especially it's very clear Nova is going."

"I'll go too!" Sol added, pushing back his chair and racing upstairs to get ready.

Marcus's lips turned into a frown "Now if Sol's going..."

"It's fine" Nova spoke up quickly "I'll be there watching over Hope."

"That's true" Marcus mumbled "and Connor will be there so I really don't have anything too..."

"I need the biggest cheering squad I can get" Jack added "and I've got like 5 tickets."

Thunk, the sound of something pressing against the glass window filled the room.

Everyone turned to see a wide eyed Katrina staring excitedly through the clear glass

"I love magic shows" She stated eagerly.

"Looks like Katrina's going too" Nova added "A magical princess, the most responsible inventor and the Queen's bodyguard, she'll be in safe hands."

"Alright" Marcus conceded "but make sure Sol doesn't convince her to go on any crazy backstage adventures."

"We won't" Connor rose his hand "I promise."

"Besides, it's a magic show" Nova said with an air of confidence "What could possibly happen?"

Jack slowly turned his head towards the magical princess. You could hear the crunching of his bones as he gave her the deepest glare he could muster.

"Great" he answered with an exasperated whine "Now something's bound to happen! Thanks Nova"

* * *

a special thanks to SVTFOEkitten: everyone cries because it's okay to cry sometimes! haha i know right? What the f sol

princessxgilex: i am so glad you enjoyed it! i try my best to keep in the spirit of the show but also throw some twists and turns :)

anonymous: here is more! and sorry it took so long. did not realize it was a month. seriously time just flew.

Fereality: Yeah one of my favorite things to do is tie physical appearance with character's emotional state and growth since this median it is very hard to portray that. I think the best way to see this is that while she is her parents child, she's not thinking about it in the right way and has a very different view of who she is and who she should be. Yeah, they wanted to make sure that they showed they trusted her even if they were worried sick. Connor especially knows how important it is to normalize nova back into regular life (he did not want to let go though) yeah i wanted to go for a more friendly rivalry/friendship than usually found in these types of stories and shows. and she's very well aware of her feelings, she's just always denying them but she knew she had to let it all go if she wanted to come to terms with what happened which is important. haha yeah that's the importance between a cliche and a troupe and who knows but we haven't seen the last of kim. thanks for the support and the review!

prettylittlerock123: thank you so much *bows*

Artgirllullaby: Aww don't worry, she's back. kinda. yay! haha noted for future use. zombie fruit. haha i have no idea. i try my best with character depth. and yep! the first step to true friendship is realizing you can be friends and despite your differences, you have a lot in common. I think everyone is so defensive of Connor because he's human and because he's not really a fighter. no in the traditional sense. haha trust me what i have planned is way worse :) Nova knew Missy would be able to see through all the lies and denial and tell Nova how it really is. Missy is straight forward like that. and yep Connor is stubborn like that. haha as cool as an idea as that is, nope he just can make portals. and change his hair. thanks for the review!

pillows03: I think it's because it's showing someone getting over a tough situation with friends while still being aware it happened. Bottling it up won't help but getting through it can really help in growing as a person and feeling better. at least that's what i was hoping to portray in this chapter. thank you and i wish you luck in your burdens may you lift and overcome them! haha thanks for the review!

JJmmmmmlol: has he? hmmm? and shhh you don't know that. but maybe you will.

advait2003: I try. haha

fanficreader1908: sol can open dimension portals (like the scissors) by himself at will. that's about it. no one really knows why or how

thundermist; haha i'm glad you liked it! haha right? even if they know you didn't mean it and they're okay, it be a bit angering if they just replied with an okay. like i almost killed you, what do you mean okay?! everyone has different ways to deal with it. and im glad you had fun with this! yay laugh! and are you sure it's new? you're welcome! honestly I don't mind for the wait. Let's not be selfish, we literally got 4 episodes back to back for the summer. not a lot of shows can say that. its okay it's coming.

fester drummon: I love my references :) haha yeah i had to add the years. I'm glad you enjoyed it and i try to write my stories with actual history and consequences with characters reacting to the events that happened. Me too, here's hoping she does!

kittycat151: haha they do but it's leaning more to actual friendship. yeah Nova is tough but even she needs a moment to recover. i just realized it kinda is. haha it's funny because i wrote that before i saw the movie. haha i looked up the actual definition and no she isn't at least in the traditional sense. she teases Connor and she's in denial but she doesn't ever actually hate him or pretend to not like him. They're best friends and they act like they are.

guest: hi! don't feel like that. this is one story among many and it's also a future au which might not sound so great on the surface. I really am happy and greatly appreciate everyone who enjoys this little story of mine. it's a great feeling and makes me want to do my best with this story. thank you so much and i hope you keep enjoying the story covy! haha answer: Ruby and Sapphire. they're a really great example of a healthy relationship with ups and downs.

starco4lyfee: haha it's here it's here. sorry. i really tried to finish it this weekend but life kept making me deal with it. no worries i understand you want the next chapter, it's no bother. enjoy1

starcofanboy14: haha thanks, i try my best. don't worry starco insurance has you cover.


	23. It's all about Jack (not really)

Hey everyone, Mr.E here with the newest chapter! Yay! Sorry I was gone so long. I had a lot of stuff on my plate and honestly I needed to take a step back. I really had a lot to deal with and kinda did some self reflection on my writing. I also took some extra time to make sure this arc was ready because this will be *probably* the longest arc in the story. But I am back, I hope you are all ready to enjoy the next chapter of Nova and there will not be a break like this again *Unless i have to in which case I'd update letting you all know*

So here we are, Jack's big day and a chance to show off his magical skills though there still remains a lot to unpack between our characters.

also for anyone wondering, Nova is still Nova. Glossaryck was being his vague, confusing self. what he's saying is Nova isn't Nova yet. She's trying to be something she isn't.

Kim and his maids belong to my good friend marinette-j2x (Who also did an amazing new cover page for me though weather if you're reading this, thank you so much for yours. it was great) and Hope belongs to my other good friend axis26.

Well that's it for me, I hope you all enjoy the story and have a great week!

* * *

The crowd was silent, their breath held anxiously as the solitary figure glided across the stage effortlessly, a single card held aloft. He gives a charming smirk as he leans to the woman in the front.

The right half of his suit is red, the other black but yet both sides seem to shimmer under the stage lights, his white gloves extend outward to show the card that remained in his hand.

"Is this..." The magician speaks in an overly dramatic tone "...your card?"

The woman sits there dumbfounded at what just occurred: The deck had been burnt, sliced, smashed and ripped to shreds yet with a flick of his wrist, there was her card completely untouched.

She gives a small nod as the crowd descends into madness. Screams and hollering fill the air about how impossible it was, disbelief in the audience's every word as the young magician gives a humble bow, clutching his red top hat adorned the musical sign forte stitched around the brim while he basks in their admiration.

"Psst" Jack rolled his eyes dismissively "That is such a weak trick. He hid the card in his sleeve the whole time"

"Who cares?" The crowned princess of Mewni spoke "It's a magic show. You're supposed to enjoy it."

"It's a magic _competition_ " Jack corrected "Winner takes all and you're turning traitor."

"Well maybe if you didn't drag us here." Connor added, fixing his glasses while the lights thudded back into life.

"You came of your own free will" Jack answered "If you really didn't want to come, you'd just buy new phones."

"Children" Katrina quietly scolded "Let's just enjoy the magic! I never get to see anything like this on guard duty."

"You're with mom most of the time."

"Shh, maaaaagic"

"Give it up for Forte!"

The teen gave one last friendly wave, gracefully making his way off stage.

True to Jack's word and implications, the building was packed. The Echo Creek Performing Arts center was the locale chosen for the event. While it was rare to see the theater filled to the brim for a single performance, today was the exception. Each seat was taken and overbooked. People crouched in the alleyways, stood against the far wall with the smallest finding makeshifts seats on the their older members of their group.

"You okay Hope?" Nova asked the little girl who sat on her lap, the princess's arms wrapped her in a protective hug.

Hope gave a quick nod, her mismatched eyes still glued to the stage.

"I can't believe you wore that. Have you no shame?" Jack scowled.

"What?" Nova glanced downwards to her t-shirt that had an image of tuxedo "Don't like my fashion?"

"You're wearing that to mock me. Your hood would've been more acceptable."

"Well I've never seen you so fancy Jack so I decided to follow your example."

"Lies" Jack muttered before making sure his elegant clothing was clean.

Connor frowned at his attire "You didn't have anything more casual for me?"

"Casual?" Jack scoffed "Have you met my mother? Besides it wouldn't kill you to dress up four eyes. Dress to impress."

"I rather not" Connor pulled his collar uncomfortably while Sol squirmed on his knee and made a face in Hope's direction "I will never understand how people wear this."

"You get used to it Connor." Jack said

"Yeah no thanks."

Nova's stare went over Hope's head, past Katrina and nearly made it to Jack when they lingered on Connor for a moment too long.

She could feel her heart skip a beat at the sight of her best friend, her cheeks burned as her gaze refused to move further.

"Nova, you okay?"

Nova was flung out of her daze as Hope's tiny fingers snapped in front of her.

"Huh? Of course Hope! I was...distracted."

Hope glanced towards Connor knowingly "I can imagine."

Nova frowned and opened her mouth to retort when Jack's backpack cooed angrily.

Jack could feel the beads of sweat run down the back of his neck as the others slowly looked his way.

"What?" Jack nervously chuckled "It's just a backpack. Nothing special about that."

Connor rose an eyebrow "Since when do you ever carry a backpack?"

"Do you even carry one? I've never seen you with one now that I think about it." Nova chimed in.

"Well.." Jack coughed "I do occasionally carry backpacks you know? You guys are so..."

There was a mighty caw. A beak pierced through fabric and began to wildly thrash about, the hole it created growing larger and larger in size until a familiar head popped free from within.

Sol climbed into Katrina's lap just before Connor rose to his feet, exclaiming loudly "Harry?!"

His beloved pet looked back and forth, taking in the surroundings before his eyes fell upon his owner.

"Caw!" Harry cooed happily before resuming his struggle to free himself of the pack.

"That's my bird!" Connor furiously turned to Jack.

"No it's not." was Jack's nonchalant response. He elbowed Harry back into the backpack and he waved his hand in a distracting manner "You aren't the only one with an owl four eyes."

"The only one with a mechanical pet actually. C'mon on out Harry."

Harry did return with a brand new attire: A tiny bowler hat that fit his head perfectly, monocle for that fancy look and a well groomed yet curly mustache over his beak.

"Caw" Harry squawked before striking a refined pose.

"See?" Jack gestured to the bird "It's a very easy mistake to make but this is my pet owl Sir Hootington of Hootington Manner."

"Caw!" Harry added.

"Oh really?" Connor's left eye was twitching "And where did you two meet?"

"Vegas" Jack answered.

"Caw!" Harry provided.

"Really?" Connor crossed his arms "The Mushroom Kingdom Sir Hootington?"

"Crap I forgot you can actually understand him" Jack murmured under his breath.

"What was that Jack?"

"Jack Ordonia" the stage speaker cut through the tension "Jack Ordonia. Five minutes to stage. Five minutes to stage Jack Ordonia."

Connor knew he made a mistake when he instinctively look to the stage. When he turned back to face his friend, he could imagine the comical dust cloud Jack must've left to completely vanish from view.

"Why am I not surprised?" Connor sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly "I'm going to get some snacks, anybody want some?"

"Oh!" Hope raised her hand eagerly "I do! Some candy!" she sheepishly dropped her hand "Umm if you don't mind."

Connor gave the young girl a warm smile "Sure, Novy?"

Nova grinned his way.

"M&M's got it. Katrina?"

"Hmm" she scratched her chin thoughtfully "They probably don't have any Honey Flies, Sugar Moths or Jumper Bites huh?"

Connor's face scrunched thoughtfully "Umm...no?"

Katrina shrugged "Get me some water. I'm good."

"Connie, Connie, Connie!" Sol bounced happily "Can I come?"

Connor chuckled "Sure Sol."

"Piggyback ride?"

Connor pretended to think about it for a moment.

Sol leaned in closer, hands curled into fists, eyes wide with anticipation.

"Sure General Sol"

Sol threw up his arms and cheered before launching himself onto a prepared Conner's back.

"Onward Connie!"

"Yes General Sol!"

And just like that, the boys left.

"Seems Connor's very good with kids" Katrina commented as she slid into Connor's now empty seat.

"He's got to be" Nova admitted "He deals with Jack on a constant basis."

"And you princess."

Nova clicked her tongue "I don't give him that much trouble."

"Mhm" Katrina responded with an unconvinced hum.

"Yes you do" Hope said quickly "I even have the amount here."

"You have a list?! You just got here Hope!"

"The list is just from your house to here" Hope explained as she fished out a tiny notepad from her hoodie pocket.

"Okay, okay" Nova raised her hands in surrender "I might bug him a little."

"She's only admitting it because he's not here"

"You learn quick Hope!" Nova beamed before trapping the younger girl in a tight hug.

"Novy you're crushing me!"

"Am I? More hugs!" Nova snickered as Hope flailed about before resigning herself to the embrace.

"Dead" Hope spoke in a dramatic tone before sliding onto the floor "T'was hugs that slay me..."

Nova chuckled as Hope jumped to her feet "Awesome Hope. You should be an actress."

Hope shook her head in disagreement "Doctor. Doctor Hope! Like mommy always wanted to be."

"And you will" Nova smiled "I know you will."

Hope beam proudly before falling deep into thought.

"Hope?" Nova asked quizzically.

"Why does Sol not like me?"

"Oh _. Oh_. Umm...well..."

"What makes you think he doesn't like you?" Katrina asked

"I don't think he wants to talk to me. And if he does, he talks in that funny tone. Like he's mad but...he's not mad too."

"And why do you think he does that?"

Hope pursed her lips "I guess...he's not sure?"

"Exactly!" Katrina nodded in agreement.

"That doesn't make sense."

"A lot of people don't make sense" Katrina gave a cheeky wink towards Nova.

Nova cleared her throat, ignoring the blush that began to form on her face "Sol's a brat."

Hope didn't seem to like that answer but Katrina already moved onto a subject.

"So when's the wedding Nova?"

Nova blinked, unsure if she was hearing what she thought she was hearing

"I'm sorry but what now?"

"You and Connor" Katrina smirked mischievously "When's the wedding?"

"Whoa" Nova raised her arms defensively "Whoa, whoa, whoa slow down. We're not getting married."

Hope looked at the princess quizzically "Why not?"

"Why? Why yes? We're just friends."

"Best friends" Katrina nudged.

"So what?" Nova pouted "Don't go making stuff up."

"You could've just said you are too young Novy" Hope offered.

"Ugh could we stop talking about nonexistent things please?" Nova pleaded.

"Alright princess. As you wish." Katrina gave an exaggerated bow before bursting out laughing.

Nova frowned, glaring irritably towards the bodyguard.

"I'm glad you're okay Nova."

"Huh?"

Katrina's teasing shifted into a somber yet grateful look "I..."

Nova didn't like how her words trail off as the warrior shifted guiltily under the princess's gaze.

"Never mind princess, It's nothing"

"Liar" Nova's tone was worried and blunt "You are my sister Kat. What's wrong?"

Katrina sighed "I felt like I failed you. Don't" she rose her hand as Nova tried to interrupt "It is my duty to protect your family. Given the fact your mother is arguably one of the most powerful Butterfly's of all time, sometimes I kinda feel like I'm there for show."

"Nonsense Kat" Nova placed her hand on the older monster's shoulder "You earned that position. And you're one of the best warriors Mewni has."

"Still, when I found out you had been kidnapped..."

Nova felt her blood boil, anger seeping into her being as she remembered how helpless she had been, useless she was.

Some Butterfly, she thought bitterly to herself.

"...I was worried" Katrina went on "If I had been at the school..."

"Your job is to protect Sol" Nova chimed in "Besides dad was at the school. No one thought anyone was stupid enough to try anything under his nose. I'm pretty sure Kim got lucky. By the way..." Nova studied Katrina's face carefully "Any word on...umm him?"

Katrina gave a tired sigh "According to him, he has no memory of even meeting you let alone kidnapping you. He claims the last thing he remembers was answering the door for someone and waking up to a bunch of strangers in his demonic shrine."

"That was one unnecessarily fancy shrine." Nova thought back "Uncle Tom keeps his in his broom closet."

"Tom is CEO of the Underworld" Katrina shrugged "Doesn't really need one. Anyway Kim's maids confirmed after the night of the supposed visitor, he had began acting strangely."

"Why did Kim answer the door? Isn't that his maids job?" Nova asked curiously.

Katrina gave a little snort "Everyone turned in for the night. The maids weren't expecting him to be up. Apparently 'Master' Kim has a curfew."

Nova couldn't keep the disbelief out of her voice "I'm sorry but he has a what?"

"A curfew" Katrina repeated "His maids make sure he gets plenty of rest and impose one on him"

Nova snorted

Hope stared quizzically at Katrina and Nova "What's wrong with a curfew? I have one..."

"Oh!" Nova crouched to meet Hope's gaze "Nothing. It's just most of the time maids don't usually give someone a curfew. It's kinda rare."

"Really?" Hope tilted her head thoughtfully "They must care about him a lot."

"Yeah" Nova agreed "I guess they do. I am surprised the maids are cooperating so freely."

"Well" Katrina made a more or less gesture "The red haired one gets pretty heated with her responses and the orange haired one gets sidetracked with other stuff. Jelina, the blue haired one, is very open if a little stiff about her answers but yeah, all of them are answering our questions, when they remember what the topic was, and all their stories line up. No sign of any lies between the four of them. Whoever was behind all this wasn't them."

Nova frowned. She didn't like the idea of some unknown enemy out there, targeting her or the wand from the shadows.

"Ugh, this makes me more annoyed with Glossy." Nova fumed as she crossed her arms angrily.

"What's this?" Katrina rose an eyebrow in mock surprise "Glossaryck being a pest? Never would've figured."

"I know right?" Nova gave a little chuckle "But seriously I asked him if he could start teaching me to dip down and he told me no! I mean isn't he my tutor? He hasn't taught me anything new. Any lessons I got about the wand were stuff mom told me growing up."

Katrina scratched her chin "I mean he's not the nicest or most selfless guy but he has his reasons. Maybe it isn't time."

"If it's not now, when?" Nova asked "Someone is after me and the wand. I need to be ready! How can I call myself a Butterfly if I can't live up to my family's legacy?"

"You are a Butterfly" Katrina firmly replied "Stop acting like you need to prove it."

Nova remained silent, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions.

"I'm sorry" Katrina gently placed her hand on Nova's shoulder "This was supposed to be a fun day out and I'm just..."

"No" Nova took a deep breath "I've been under a lot of stress. I've worried everyone by staying in my room and feeling sorry for myself. I'm sorry."

Nova gave a grateful smile as Hope climbed onto her lap and gave her the tightest hug she could muster.

"You are awesome Novy." Hope said fondly.

"Thanks Hope" Nova smiled cheerfully towards the younger girl.

"Katrina wrapped her arms around the magical princess and squeezed "And remember you are a Butterfly."

"Thanks." Nova murmured with a grin.

"Kat Kat, I don't get a hug?" Sol's voice cut through the moment.

The trio broke their embrace in time for Sol to leap into Katrina's lap, squeezing his froggy protector in a fierce hug.

"Haha you weren't here for me to hug my liege." Katrina ruffled Sol's hair playfully.

Sol looked at Katrina in confusion "League? What league? Soccer season is over."

"Nothing Sol."

Sol pouted but began making himself comfortable on Katrina's lap.

"Sorry" Connor smiled sheepishly "I tried to stop him but..."

Nova shook her head as he held up their snacks and drinks.

"Since you got me my favorite snack, I guess I can forgive you four eyes." Nova teased, taking the M&M's from him.

"You are so merciful princess" Connor gave a teasing bow before handing out the rest of the treats.

"Ladies and gentleman please take your seats. Our next performance is about to begin"

The lights dimmed, the shadows growing and blanketing the audience in its darkness. Jack strolled out with an air of confidence and endearing superiority only he could muster.

"Ladies and gentleman" He gave a polite, respectful bow "I am here to amaze and astound you! For the next three minutes do not trust your senses. Your sight will lie to you, your ears deceived and you will be completely spellbound if you do."

"He'd be more charming if we didn't know him so well." Connor murmured softly.

Nova snorted, playfully nudging her best friend. Her eyes met his and the two shared a smile.

Jack raked his hand through his hair slowly, his eyes closed in focus. The audience gasped in surprised as the hand returned, not empty like when he ran it through his hair but rather with a single, beautiful red rose in his grasp.

"A rose." He motioned to the crowd with it "A bit cliché I know but you cannot go wrong with the classics. I..." Jack frowned, seemingly confused by something "I...I thought I brought out my table"

He looks to the left then to the right before shrugging in defeat "Silly me I must've forgot it." He raises a finger "Hold on one moment."

Nova could hear the sharp in take of breath from the crowd as Jack lets go of the rose and walks off to the side, calling from off stage "Ah! Here it is! I knew I left it somewhere."

Jack dragged a small table on wheels to the center, wiping nonexistent sweat off his brow "Very unprofessional I know. I hope you forgive me."

The audience is too stunned to respond.

"Alright" Jack claps his hands together "Time to continue on with the show!" and just like that, he plucks the rose he left floating midair like nothing "Now I need an assistant."

Various teenage voices cry out from the darkness, volunteering themselves for a chance to be on stage.

"Aww" Jack smiles softly "Thank you. You are all much too kind but I think I have one riiiiiight here."

With a dramatic flourish, Jack fishes out a colorful sheet from his shoe before draping it over the flat table. He waves his hand over the cloth and snaps his finger.

Connor gives an unhappy groan as a familiar bird shape rises from underneath the cloth.

"I don't know which I'm going to kill first: Jack or Harry."

"Jack obviously" Nova whispered "Harry didn't do anything."

Jack pulled off the sheet to reveal Connor's beloved bird now dressed with a cute little matching bowtie and tiny top hat.

The crowd coos at the sight of Harry who poses in a proud manner: head high, chest out, wings tucked behind him.

"Hey Harry" Jack greets.

"Caw!" Harry replies causing the crowd to coo even louder than before.

Jack leans over the mechanical bird "Want to help me with a trick?"

"Caw!" Harry flips his wings excitedly.

Jack offers the rose to Harry who takes it in his beak and faces the crowd.

Jack blocks the audience's view of the flower with his hand, giving a cheery wave to everyone before snapping his fingers. When he pulls away, the red rose has now turned blue and the crowd can barely contain their excitement.

Harry poses with the newly changed flower as Jack plucks it away from him.

"I'm not a fan of this color Harry" Jack makes a face "What's your favorite color?"

"Caw!"

"Purple? Good choice buddy."

Connor scoffs, shaking his head disappointed "He said black, not purple Jack. If you're going to birdnap my pet, at least learn to understand him.

Nova laughs at the sight of an unamused Harry but Jack carries on with his trick.

The young magician crumples the rose in his hand, squeezing it tight in his fist before tugging at his collar.

"Man it's hot" Jack sighs, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand "Stage lights are just so stuffy, am I right?"

No one responses as Jack motions to them with open palms, the rose nowhere in sight.

"Tough crowd" Jack jokes as he yawns, stretching his arms wide before he sniffles once, twice. Three times and with a mighty sneeze, he covers his mouth as a purple rose tumbles out of his hand and onto the floor below.

"I am so sorry" Jack apologizes as he walks over to Harry "Let me just..."

Harry jumps in surprise as, without warning, Jack takes the multicolored sheet and with a flick of his wrist, cleans his nose with a much smaller tissue.

"Much better." he says with a grin. He picks the flower from the floor and walks towards the edge of the stage. "Now I am ready to begin my trick. I..."

The buzzer rings warning Jack he only has 30 seconds left.

"Darn" Jack says with a cheeky smile, twirling the flower across his fingers "I am so sorry. I guess I wasted everyone's time. I wish I could've performed my tricks for you. I know! One last parting gift from me to all of you."

He clasps his hands together before cracking his fingers, the rose once more vanishing from sight.

"My name is Jack Ordonia" He gives one last bow before rising once more and gestures to the audience. Dozens upon dozens of rose petals fly out of his hands, showering the crowd below "and I hope you enjoyed my show!"

And as Jack retreats off stage, people jump to their feet, their cries of delight and joy echoing thunderously in the hall.

* * *

Jack stands triumphant on stage. Nova could hear the whispers of people noticing how charming the magician's grin is.

"I have never seen him so smug" Connor sighed. Everyone else quickly agrees.

"Everyone" The presenter speaks into the microphone with prize in hand "After much consideration and debate, we are proud to present today's Upcoming Magician's trophy to our winner: Jack Ordonia!"

Jack's surprise was as fake as his modesty, taking the rather decent sized trophy lovingly into his hands.

"Thank you so much" He bows once more, shooting a few winks into the crowd. Nova could hear the burning of cheeks among the cheers "I am deeply honored and humbled you all loved my performance. I am just doing what I love."

The cheers grow in volume, everyone (Nova and company included) stand up and basks the half-demon in their adoration and praise.

"We're never going to hear the end of this huh?" Nova mutters to Connor.

"Nope" Connor sighs tiredly.

Jack beams, holding the trophy high and posing for pictures as the clapping dies down.

All except a slow, mockingly loud clap approaching from nearby.

Jack narrows his eyes as Forte strolls onto stage, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Umm, do you mind?" Jack tells his defeated opposition "This is kinda my moment. I did win after all. Earned it, you know?

"Of course." The gray eye teen gives a gracious bow "Highly impressive tricks."

A cold chill runs down Nova's spine as confused whispers begin to spread throughout the room.

"So do you mind?" Jack motions with his eyes for Forte to leave.

Forte smirks before facing the crowd "I wasn't expecting to lose but hey, this was just a waste of time for me."

Jack clutches his prize angrily, a snarling forming on his face "Waste of time? This is a big deal for me so you better..."

"Nova Butterfly!"

Forte's voice echos through the hushed hall.

Nova remains quiet as her anger returns, boiling over and consuming her entire being.

Someone else after the wand? Fine.

Forte locks eyes with her, his smirk ever present.

Katrina leaps to her feet, muscles tensed and ready for battle when Nova raises her hand.

"I got this."

"Wait, Nova..." Katrina begins but the words die in her throat as Nova carefully places Hope in her arms.

"I got this" Nova repeats, fury brimming in her eyes "You need to protect the kids."

"But..."

"That's an order from your princess."

Katrina grits her teeth before glumly nodding in understanding.

Her footsteps echoed in the hushed room, Forte watching her carefully as she approaches.

"Go back Connor" Nova mutters under her breath, concern biting at her resolve as she feels her best friend's gaze on her.

"Yeah no" Connor answers, his steps perfectly in sync with her own "This looks like trouble."

"You're going to get hurt" Nova whispers, a hint of fear spilling into her voice.

"No I won't" Connor catches up and walks side by side with the princess "You're there. You'll make sure I'm okay."

"I nearly killed you last time" Nova felt the tears form at the edges of her eyes "I almost..."

"That wasn't you." Connor answered simply "You're my best friend. I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"But who knows what this guy is planning? What if he...what if I can't...?"

Nova could feel her heart try to jump out of her throat as Connor slips his hand into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Nova can't help but stare at Connor, his relaxed calm face despite the possible danger. His utter belief that she can get them through this.

"You'll hide if it gets too intense."

It wasn't a question.

He nods in agreement "I know how this works."

"Good" Nova gives him a fake glare "Because if you didn't..."

Connor smirks as they break their hold on each other and climb the stairs, Jack standing in between them and the strange magician.

"Hold my trophy" Jack tells the presenter, handing over his sought over prize as the trio slowly inched closer to Forte.

"Gang's all here huh?" Forte gives a cocky grin.

"What do you want?" Nova growls, wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"Not the wand that's for sure. My creator wants to see if you got what it takes."

"For?"

No answer. Instead, Forte cracks his neck, twirling a playing card across his fingers. Its edges gleam with an unnatural sharpness.

"You know" Jack said in bored tone, taking his place next to Nova "I was hoping for a break from all the fighting."

Connor shrugged in response as he stood on the other side of the princess "I'm surprised you're not furious he ruined your big day."

Jack's face broke into a snarl "Oh I am pissed."

Nova sighed "You know, mom used to tell me about all the fights she used to get in when she was my age."

Forte dropped into a fighting stance.

Nova raised her wand

"It's really annoying."

* * *

marionette: haha, I know right?

edward-human16: haha here you go, more nova. live on!

pillows03- hahah i do love me my twist story chapters. Nova knows it'll take time but she's more angry at herself than scared at this point. She wallowed in her self pity and realized that's not going to help anyone. haha Yeah those abilities were hinted at a few times early on (like when Nova babysat him). I felt Sol would be a little more magical than his sister. thank you for understanding. sorry this took longer than expected, thanks! *throws confetti* I had a pretty epic birthday and Nova did too even if she doesn't technically age haha no worries, I appreciate all the same! NOM NOM NOMS CAKE! thank you so much.

fereality- thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Oh man I think mine had one too. I felt it wa s very Marco thing to do to teach his kids (and Star) Not to curse freely. Glossy has his reasons. His annoying, vague reasons. *puts dollar in jar* yeah he means metaphorically (writes down the amount) gasp Sol has a crush on hope? noooo haha. thanks! you too!

bomberguy789: it was called nothing comes easy I believe. Great story.

sugar: yeah i mean one of the big problems with nova is that she defines herself as starco's child and while it's a great source of pride, it's also a source of insecurity. Since I can't draw to save my life, I use physical appearances and clothing to kinda show shifts in character so one day Nova will find out who Nova is. She is 14 after all. a bit young for deep self soul searching. They were fun to write. my friend did a great job creating them.

guest sorta: no need to panic. She is our beloved princess Nova. or is she? haha jk she is. haha oh jeeeez guest I dunno if you wanna go down that rabbit hole.

Svtfoekitten: hahah having fun?

fanficreader1908: You're welcome! Yeah I kept his powers vague on purpose but it's just the two really. aww thank you! i love those ships. That is an excellent question.

thundermist: Hi again! Hope you're doing great, had a great holidays and new year. Totally kicked ass in your match right? and hope you enjoyed Cali. haha im glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. haha everyone loves Connor even if he doesn't know why (good for you! yay!) Have you met Jack? He's kinda selfish sometimes. (Only sometimes) awesome I'm glad you did! and you'd have to go to the nova tumblr to get that answer on Sol and Hope. ...*nervous laugh* sorry it took till the new year. which book was out in November? vent all you need. dont forget to take a small break for yourself, it helps a lot. well I hope you enjoy the new chapter! GOOD LUCK!

shippingqueen477: Connor is too cute for anyone to handle but he doesn't know it. thanks! and awesome! no worries it happens to us all.

Jorjam: thanks it means a lot to me. I love when people tell me they enjoy my work and their favorite parts. really makes my day. I always try my best when doing my own work (even if it is a spin off of the show) yeah everyone has starco insurance or should while reading this. Bad boy au is too much fun to write, sol and star too. A lot people picked the steampunk as their favorite but thank you. I am deeply honored you think highly of my work even if it isn't perfect. there are a few background nova stories planned (I just have to write them) but they'll be in there's always a star and hoodie because it won't break up the flow here. thanks! you stay awesome too!

Artgirllullaby: Because they like testing fate. sometimes you need to slow down and enjoy the ride before I toss you over a waterfall and drown you in feels. haha Jack does not accept failure. He's too charming to fail! Katrina is adorable all the time! and nope, he doesn't know Nova's size. thanks lullaby! Im glad you liked it!

Proluxe: Yeah jack is a lot of people's favorite, that's how come he got upgraded to major character. trust me he's got a lot of chapters coming.

thdorkmagnet: haha aww thanks. Yeah those two are really fan favorites. Yeah i mentioned it for that reason since nothing comes easy isn't really canon in the novaverse. Yeah I love them and really wanted them in here so i asked my friend axis26 and he was all for it Hope with sol is a popular ship haha

guest: aww thanks. sorry for the wait

JJmmmmmlol: same haha

Starco4Lyfee: I have returned. sorry

keiziahknight.1886: Haha i dont think Nova's ever going to end with all these arc ideas you all keep giving me!

axis26: Hey man! Glad you liked the chapter. No worries, this isn't going anywhere. I took envy those who could sleep in. Yeah being a teen man. Generally a bad idea to sneak up on anyone in that family. Glossy knows who to look out for. It was supposed to Florida?! WHAT?! I think I should write summaries to help people remember. Ugh don't remind me about witchcraft. Still freaked out about the last one. all the shots fired. He lives! nearly 8 years actually. People love the Ferg. no help at all. and Ferg lives in his own reality. A mistake? or a cover? I know right? It's really concerning. They do, they just wanted a break from Ferg. One of the most dangerous situations. Nope it can't. Ferguson can only grow so much. He is wise but he doesn't want that getting out, more people might ask him for help. Yeah way before season 2. LIEEEES. haha. Constant vigilance. Jack is but he forgets the differences between earth and the underworld. Curse you Missy the kinda friend! haha thanks, I have to work within the budget. dem ships. the thing with her forehead. nope, the popcorn vanished. all the jelly. Fear the silence of the sol. you mean hell. Letting Sol loose would be adorable and terrifying in equal measurements. Don't get used to it, its sol. Janna. Nova has trouble remembering that. Poor ferg. and I know right? Goofballs give the best advice. I'm glad! You're work is great! see you in six months! Chapter 9: Yay not six months *grabs cookie* secret meeting! secret meeting! It makes moon feel better if someone else is watching Star's back;. Sometimes you need to sneak a lie in there to see friends. Yes yes it was because in the future they collectively referred as Starco haha. because sheet music is scary. Point zero is. ironically not what i meant but hey witchcraft with the toffee thing. yep. Yeah written way before season 2. go write and come back when you're done!

shortest review ever; Aww thanks!

Nicki Plague: Welcome to the land of waiting! haha sorry. It's one of those things were the major beats were already planned waaaaay before season 2 even came out so I had to work with what i had which was a lot of blank spaces. Some things will get retconned if they weren't mentioned in the story already but for the most part I go with what i got and remind everyone this was planned way in advance. thanks for the review though!


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